Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart
by Prince PokePersona
Summary: The world paints all its' problems in shades of black or white. Despair is bad. Hope is good. The middle area is nonexistent to societies filled with groupthink and hive minded sheep. Roses are red, violets are blue, is that really true? Former remnants desire the same freedom as we do. Do they really deserve a second chance? Once upon a time...it seemed so. (SYOC OPEN)
1. Prologue: A Lovely Change Of Pace

**Editor: Crimson Spider Lily**

* * *

 **A Lovely Change Of Pace**

Despair. What a wonderfully vague word that is. It's supposed to derive only a negative connotation and mean nothing but abject things. Despair, in of itself, is a very abstract concept that still piques most psychologists, philosophers and societies to this day.

Why do people loathe it so much? Why do we strive for something as blind and unpredictable as hope? What drives a person into believing in either one of those ideas? What's the true ulterior motive of each desire? Are they really so polarizing that one should be glorified and the other demonized?

I never really cared to know the answer for myself, personally. For you see, I used to fall victim to both Hope's and Despair's lies and misguidance. Consumed by their false teachings, both were drugs which I couldn't stop taking over and over again. Both ideologies were addictive, appealing to many and once ingested, it's harder to go back to normal without suffering some twisted form of withdrawal or deleterious side effect.

Wow...That sounded so edgy and cliché, I nearly gagged in my mouth. Scratch that note, let's try this again.

Hope was like a shepherd, a devilishly enticing one at that. The belief, and by extension the believers, preached about love, sunshine and rainbows like it was going out of style, like a viral internet trend that lasted for about a month. The birthplace of that beloved word, Hope's Peak, was, in my opinion, an ideological cult. They clung to that particular word as if it were the next best thing since sliced bread. They borderline worshipped the word, similar to how prophets or missionaries preached about some almighty savior in the sky and that if we followed their scriptures we'd be saved or some florid bullshit like that.

Despair, on the other hand, was the latest trend that had people flocking to it like girls at a shoe sale. It was something fresh, tantalizing and something that caught on quickly like a blistering wildfire. It was something that promised people that they would get what they wanted. It took more than it could tote, leaving only sorrow and a cascade of broken hearts lying in its path.

Both sides were weary of each other and considered the other to have overstayed their welcome. One wanted to fill the world with their hippie dippy world peace crap and the other just wanted senseless violence and mayhem, devoid of anything beautiful or purposeful. Two clashing beliefs that were at each other's throats, always at war with the other and always waiting, never stopping, for the other to yield in a ceaseless cycle of death and tragedy.

As an impressionable youth, I used to follow their lies and eat them up like a fat person at an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet. The insatiable sensation that engulfed me and countless others was almost tormenting; I wanted more and more until I couldn't handle the overwhelming pressure being forced down my throat.

The ironic thing is, I used to admire Hope's Peak for wanting me to be apart of their Ultimates program. I used to believe in the lies the school preached and toted around like a shiny badge of honor. I was one of the sheep following the herd and mimicking its practices to the masses. I had a perfectly normal life up until the day she arrived to the academy.

When I had the unpleasant misfortune of meeting her, that all changed. She saw me for who I really was, or so I initially thought at the time. She used to tell me that I had too much potential, that I was wasting it away at a stuffy prep school that held privileged students like me on a high pedestal. Her one talking point was that I had to break the status quo, fight the power and all that rebellious nonsense.

She was the reason that I became the person who I am today, a shell of my former self, seeking redemption from a jaded society who had shunned and demonized me for a very long time.

I believed her lies too, funnily enough. I followed her blindly into battle and became one of her underling subordinates who would lick the ground she walked on. I was the blind sheep who drank too much of the tainted water in the river. She was so persuasive and charismatic, being a fashionista and having millions of adoring fans following in her cold dead footsteps; she pretty much had the entire world underneath her thumb.

A truly despicable and nihilistic character, she desired nothing but despair. As to why she thought that, well who knows? From what I heard, she's long gone and left her humble minions to take the flack for her mess.

Oh, where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself properly. How rude of a refined gentleman such as I.

My name is Tadashi Jonetsu. I was formerly known as the Ultimate Romance Novelist, or the Thief of Lovers Hearts, according to my fanbase online. You can call me whatever you want, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot it. Maybe I'm better off that way.

 **TADASHI JONETSU - ULTIMATE ROMANCE NOVELIST**

I'm just your average everyday guy, nothing special about me whatsoever. I have very simple tastes and my profession requires a lot of my attention. Writing is one of my favorite things to do and without it, I don't know where I'd be in life if I didn't pursue my dreams and started my own self-published literary career.

You might have heard of me, unless you lived under a rock, because let's be honest, who hasn't heard of moi. My books are bestsellers around the world and it's nearly impossible for you to not have heard at least one of my titles or even watched a movie adaptation of one of my many prolific series.

You might recognize me from one of my famous works, such as 'Missing Juliet', a romance series about a girl who goes missing after school and it's up to her boyfriend of two years to find out where she went and if she was kidnapped or left on her own accord. Or perhaps you've heard of 'Never Your Bride', the perfect cult classic romance for middle-aged women who crave a life of lust and drama to enrich their boring marriages and forget about their spineless husbands who are too preoccupied with work to satisfy their needs.

Regardless, I'm considered a household name amongst my peers, my booktube fanbase, the online book reviewers and to many proficient movie critics who review the movies based off of my works. My books always get rave reviews, nothing below 4 out of 5 stars, each one receiving critical acclaim with each new release and installment in a series. I even beat the Ultimate Writing Prodigy in terms of quality and quantity of books made, I've written more successful titles, garnered such a loyal fanbase, had three successful movie adaptations and even got nominated for a Pulitzer Prize award.

Unfortunately for her, she was revoked of her title due to being a notorious serial killer on the down low, but you didn't hear that from me. I'm not one to spill the tea, as they say, but I do enjoy some juicy gossip from time to time.

Enough about that hot mess, back to me.

Yes, from what you have just read, I was a former Remnant of Despair. A spawn from that accursed group that everyone, the government and the media, hates oh so much. We were considered the second thorn in the Future Foundation's side and the reason why the world went to shit after some teenage girl had a depressing angsty thought. We were society's new scapegoat.

Ever since the Tragedy, or that long ass name that I don't give two flying fucks to care about remembering, the Future Foundation decided it would be best for the Remnants who surrendered, were neutralized, or were captured to be put into their newest and foolproof plan. They created this program for recovering Ultimates who wanted to purge their despairing thoughts, move on with their lives and to re-enter society with a clean blank slate.

Since talents like ours didn't come around as often or are rare to find amongst our demographic, the corporation realized that instead of erasing us from the face of the Earth, they could give us a second chance at life, so to speak. Wash our hands clean of the blood spilt by a deluded ideology caused by one tackily dressed teenager with too much time on her hands.

We were given the opportunity to join the 'Despair Me Not Program', the Future Foundation's ingenious and surefire plan to rid the world of anything despair related. As convoluted and cheesy a title as that, it was my best chance at survival, a new life and a second chance.

I couldn't go back into society without attending this program; not only because if I did then the angry mobs would hunt me down and demand my head on a silver platter, but because I wanted to give hope a second chance. But mostly the former, the main driving force, because why would you want to harm this pretty face?

I really didn't know what to expect from this program as a whole, other than it was supposed to expunge my crimes and get me back into HP's good graces. I honestly didn't care about going back to that godforsaken school. I wanted out of all the madness...to start anew and maybe write more romance books that I enjoyed making and not what the general population wanted me to write.

I wanted to write more than just romance...I wanted to pursue a more adult genre. I wanted to write erotica. Yes, you heard me, erotic romance.

As a romance author, I was always bound by the cliches and tripe that was pure romance. I got sick of it all after the twelfth book. The lovey-dovey overtones, the flowery prose, the gratuitous amounts of detail to unnecessary backgrounds, the forced melodrama and the predictable foreshadowing that plagued the outcomes of each ending, I was fed up. You might think me crude or chauvinistic, but if you've written over 30 plus books as I have, then you'd want to change the channel and find new shows to watch, so to speak.

I've always considered myself as someone open to new things; I liked branching out and exploring new territory and how far I could go as a writer. If I stuck to only writing romance novels, then I wouldn't be able to progress in my career or elevate to new heights. I wanted to do more with my life rather than just write boring, tired, vanilla romance with bland uncharismatic leads who unrealistically have instant chemistry with each other because they made eye contact that one time at a boarding school or at a party.

You might think I'm some kind of perverted freak, but you would be wrong….sort of. Don't get it twisted, I'm not some sicko who'd spy on girls' changing or do anything scandalous like that. I'd much rather fantasize about it, put my feelings onto paper and see if my faithful readers like this new style of art I'm experimenting with.

I knew what guys wanted and what girls loved, the two quintessential things needed in order to have a wide and diverse audience. My loyal readers and fanbase always said that in every review I'd read after I published a new book, that I knew what they wanted and that I was an up-and-coming literary legend in the making. You might think that's very cheeky, egotistical or much to assume, but honestly I just wrote how I felt about love and how to make it more interesting in a sense.

While I do adore the attention and adulation I've received, to me it gets really redundant and boring to hear the same praise over and over again, without so much as a hint of constructive criticism or genuine gripes with my writing as a whole. I partially blame that on my fans for shutting down any form of divisive debate and social commentary, the trolls who call my work overrated garbage that make real critics look bad in the process and overall society's lust for new and sensational content that would briefly satiate their own greedy wishes, until it wears thin and the vicious cycle repeats itself.

I may have my quirky fetishes and my own personal dark desires, but I will never ever put them into practice, nor will I ever let them invade my work. Contrary to what you might think, I take my writing very seriously, so before you get your torches and pitchforks and parade around chanting death curses, I swear on what little honor I have left, that I won't ever do anything like that ever, unless it's for the erotic books that I plan to write in the near future.

I think I've chatted your ear off enough as is, let's actually get on with the real story you all came to read about. This is the story of how a simple leisurely rehabilitation program turned sour and grim faster than you could say a tongue twister.

Let's start with a very curt introduction to this tale, shall we?

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It was a Wednesday afternoon, or maybe it was a Thursday, I'd forgotten such a small detail like that; it was similar to an ant passing by on muddy dirt, it wasn't that important. I lounged on a nearby wooden bench near the sidewalk by the roadway, awaiting a bus that seemed like it was never going to show up. I sighed deeply, resting lazily on the bench as I turned and checked the large black duffle bag containing all my belongings. I inspected the contents, noting the extra clothes, writing utensils, extra notebooks, comic books and other essentials inside. I rummaged inside and grabbed a piece of paper crumpled up inside one of the corners next to one of my shirts that discussed my confirmation into this asinine program.

 _Dear Mr. Jonetsu,_

 _Thank you very much for accepting an application to join the Despair Me Not Program. We know it's not easy coming forward as a former remnant of despair, but we appreciate your sacrifice. As a candidate of this program, you are guaranteed a safe and affordable program that allows you to hone your skills as an Ultimate as well as change your ways. If you wish to cancel at any time, feel free to let us know by contacting this number._

 _XXX-XXXX-XXXX_

 _We hope you have a wonderful time at the DMN Program, and remember, Hope is always on your side._

 _Signed,  
_ _Suzuko Tsutsumi  
_ _Head of the Despair Me Not Program_

I sneered at the letter, feeling its condescending tone laughing at me in the face as I gritted my teeth in annoyance. As much as I wanted to rip this note to shreds and send it flying in the wind, this was my confirmation to get into the program, so I needed to keep it in pristine condition. I then shoved the note back into my bag, zipped it tightly and crossed my arms irritatedly.

My intense distaste for this whole program was only amplified by how humid it was. Even though it was the afternoon, I felt the sweltering heat kiss my skin as a few beads of sweat trickled down the sides of my head and I could smell the sweat on my armpits getting damper and more pungent. The sunlight was dimly incandescent and the warmth radiating throughout the empty town I resided in couldn't be any more intense if it tried.

I slicked back my long pastel pink hair and tied it into a flowing voluminous ponytail using a black thin ribbon as I felt my forehead dripping sweat and my hair soaking in the heat like an oversized mop. I unbuttoned the collar of my white black striped red heart-printed dress shirt by a few buttons to where you could see some of my chest and my dark blue jeans felt snug to the touch and slightly chafed in certain areas as I wriggled around trying to get comfortable on the already heated bench. I took the pair of black shades that rested on top of my head and placed them over my bright green eyes, untied the plain black tie around my neck resting it around my shoulders, shuffled my feet around in my dark brown dress shoes, massaging my sore feet from the long walk here and waited a few more minutes for the bus to come, so that I could leave this god forsaken town. As each second passed by, it felt like an eternity as I soaked in a few more rays of sun that my fair white skin almost looked tan, bordering on a spray tan color. I'd much rather get skin cancer than waste another second waiting for a bus to take me to a program that I didn't really give a flying fuck about.

Out of sheer boredom, I looked around the bus stop and noticed a few posters plastered on telephone poles, on the sides of buildings and on a mailbox all reading the same trite nonsense:

" **CHANGE OR DESPAIR!** " read a poster with change on a white scroll and despair written in black faded letters against a blue background.

" **DEATH TO THE REMNANTS!** " another poster read with the words emboldened and capitalized to emphasize the town's venomous disgust for remnants, aka people like me.

" **HOPE WILL NEVER DIE!** " one more poster read with bright white letters printed against a black background with a few white stars scattered about.

I gazed at the posters with an unimpressed glare, feeling even more peeved than I already was. I was frustrated and tired of seeing those cheap propaganda flyers and inspirational posters sprinkled around town, with Hope's Peak even warranting a live TV press conference talking about us and making us out to be the devil and telling the general public that everything was going to be okay.

"Kiss my ass, tryhards," I scoffed at the flyers, turned around and stared at the quiet surroundings as a few cars passed by as I continued waiting for the bus.

Despite the academy and the Future Foundation wanting us to change for the better, I still felt the hypocrisy and lies crawl up my spine and hit me in the back of my head like a bullet train. They were so hostile towards remnants, making us out to be the devil, yet here they are, the harbingers of peace and tolerance, encouraging a whole nation to belittle us former remnants as if we were not even human. This stupid corporation was so adamant to purge their precious world of us that they missed one hiding right under their noses the entire time and did nothing to stop it. Talk about elitist, self-righteous and hypocritical if you ask me, the double standards are so astonishingly apparent, they might as well lock us up for life and throw away the key.

I dozed off for a few minutes, feeling the intense warmth wrap me into a false sense of security as I heard a loud motor running in the distance. I awoke immediately and noticed a black and white bus with the words 'Hope Is Our Only Future' written in bold red letters printed on the side of the bus as I grumpily picked up my duffle bag, stood up and headed inside of the bus feeling the cold A/C brush against my skin.

"Finally, I will never take air conditioning for granted ever again," I sleepily yawned, walking inside and coming face to face with the bus driver.

He was an older man, maybe in his late forties, sitting behind the wheel of the bus as he stared at me with a passive glare. His short black hair was pushed back as he wore a cap over his head. His grey hoodie was musty and crinkled with food stains while he also wore short baggy brown pants and sandals with socks. He smelt absolutely dreadful and I wanted to pinch my nose out of fear it would shrivel up, but I bore with the odor and handed him my bus fare.

"Where ya headed?" he grumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Here you go my good man," I handed him a piece of paper with the address of the program written on it.

"Oh, you're one of them remnants…." he finished reading the paper, glancing at me with a tired look and blowing smoke out of his nostrils, "Whatever, I don't have all day kid."

He took the paper and crumpled it up, tossing it in the overflowing bin next to the bus entrance as I headed back to grab a seat. I waded through the thin, messily narrow corridor of the unkempt bus and noticed that it wasn't nearly as full as I'd expected it to be.

I noticed about five people in this twenty seater bus, however the small numbers and rows of empty seats only heightened my anxiety further. As I made my way to find a seat that didn't look like it was torn to shreds or urinated on, I came across some rather unsavory individuals.

I received a few icy cold glares from two middle-aged salarymen, an old lady started knitting her sweater with sharp needles rather furiously as if she were waiting for the right moment to stab me in the face as her pet cat hissed loudly at me, a female middle schooler threw a piece of paper that was covered in wet saliva at my head and some 5 year old boy gave me the middle finger as he stuck his tongue out at me jeeringly.

"Hmph...so much for common decency," I thought, taking a seat in the back row as to avoid any more mockery, "Times sure have changed.."

If anything, this society should be thankful that I'm even attending this ridiculous program in the first place. The irony of my situation is that even though I announced that I was a former remnant who volunteered out of my own volition, I was still antagonized and ridiculed for my decision.

I never understood the mental gymnastics these people loved to play, but at the same time I sort of knew where they were coming from. I mean, I and a bunch of other depressed teenagers decided to go on a mass genocidal killing spree and even went as far as to enslave half of the world's population, so I can see why we're not the most welcome in most cities or even around the world. I just think that people like me should at least get some encouragement for wanting rehabilitation. There are more lingering remnants out there being forced into this program and are far more vicious than I am, yet those same protestors want to demonize me and cast aspersions against my reputation just because I came forward, talk about generalization.

I sat near the left back of the bus, sitting close to the window seat as I rested my bag on the other seat and waited for the driver to start the bus. As the bus continued its route, I stared outside the streaky clear window, leaning my head against its stained frame and watched as the dull town I used to reside in, fade away as we left townlines.

As the sun started to set on that dismally dreadful town of ingrates, I started pondering my life choices and how it lead me to this moment in time. What exactly was so different about them versus remnants like me? We all have our own secrets to keep under wraps, but as soon as we confide in others, we're instantly criminalized and branded as dishonest cretins just for expressing how we feel.

I sleepily yawned, placing my black shades over my head and watched the fading sunset slowly dissipate. The rich warm pinks and oranges started to grow dimmer as each second passed by and my impending sleepiness started to grow as the terrible rock music pervaded throughout the cramped bus. I decided that the long road ahead was enough to warrant a quick nap, as I closed my eyes and felt my body drifting into dreamland.

There was a lesson I learned a very long time ago, even before all of this tragedy bullshit and before I started my writing career. Nobody wants to hear the ugly truth, no matter what, in order to protect their precious little feelings and stay secluded in their echo chambers of circlejerking.

In a society that totes Hope as its eternal savior and preaches about love and tolerance, it sure did know when to switch gears and demonize an entire group of people willing to redeem themselves for the better and to appease society's selfish needs. And they call us the monsters, talk about pathetic.

But like they always say, we all have skeletons in our closet. But do we want them to be aired out like dirty laundry and laid down bare for the entire world to see? Is it even all worth it in the end to suffer? Do people like me really need to change or is society the one who needs to come to terms with their sordid past?

In time we shall see. Time is the Ultimate Truth of them all and nobody can escape their past….no one...

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 **A/N** : Hello hello hello, how are you all doing and it's so good to see you all again. Now I know what you're thinking.

A fourth SYOC, what are you doing with your life, you reclusive freak! You should be getting an education, working to get a job, finding a girlfriend or starting a family…..ok calm down XD. Yes yes, I know what the hell am I doing. You might be also thinking, Persona, why on earth are you making more SYOC when you already have your hands full with three right now?

Well here's the thing, this story isn't going to be updated for a very long time. This one will start updating regularly maybe around late next year, since I will most likely have finished at least one of my first three stories by that point, hopefully. I'm not going to start writing chapters for it right away, considering I have so much on my plate as it is. So consider this story in submission limbo for now, this is to give me time to write for the other stories and get them out as fast as possible.

Also don't spam and ask me if the story is getting updates soon, this will be a long process and I don't want to overflood my work schedule more than I already have XD. I want to take my time with my stories and I make these because I enjoy writing and I have fun making them, so patience is key X3.

As you can tell, I am making a saga and this will be the fourth entry in the series. Hopefully I can actually commit to making all 8 stories when the time comes, but for now, here's the fourth SYOC and I hope you guys enjoyed reading the little prologue and getting to meet our MC, Tadashi, charming isn't he?

Funny story you guys, my original draft for his character had some of my friends really heated and they had some choice words for him...for lack of a better term. So I decided to change things around and tone down his personality in some aspects. I was going for a character that was more unlikable, but I didn't expect him to literally be the devil incarnate XD. So yeah that was interesting, I hope this final version is good enough.

Other than that, I hope you all liked this short little chapter introducing the story and our MC. What are your thoughts on the premise? Is the setting of the story okay? What do you think of Tadashi so far? I know he doesn't stand out much now, but in time...in time my dear readers.

For now if you're interested in submitting an OC, make sure they were a former remnant of despair and they must have a good reason for wanting rehabilitation. I know it's a very unusual and kind of unique concept, but I just wanted to try my hand at giving this kind of storytelling a chance.

Volunteering isn't always what these former remnants chose, so I don't mind OC who were either coerced, forced into this program, are people who are going undercover or have some ulterior motives of their own in terms of this program and its inner workings. You know the whole shebang, I encourage variety and I love reading about the unique talents you guys present to me.

If you have any OC suggestions you would like to talk with me about, PM me, I'm happy to help and it makes my day to know you guys are just as passionate for my story as I am. Also if anyone wants to know, I have a set of rules in regards to repeat talents and their usage in my stories.

Since my stories are in the same universe as the main games, I don't expect there to be two of the same talent or person who bears a talent that is either in the canon series or was in one of my previous stories. However that being said, if you're able to take a fresh new spin on an old talent or come up with a variation of one, feel free to ask me and I don't mind helping you guys out with your OC creation.

That being said, you don't need to read my first story to understand this one and the same rule applies to all of my stories, they might be in the same canon, but they rarely interact with the other, so you can read this without worrying about spoilers.

Here is a list of talents that have been used in my previous stories, some of you may notice that some talents are currently ?. That means I haven't revealed them yet and are making those chapters and are currently in the process of revealing them. Also, this same list is on my profile as well so feel free to check that out X3.

* * *

Here's the list guys:

 **Salty Waves and Bloody Coral Talents** : Zoologist, Sniper, Trader, Gardener, Roleplayer, Judge, Ice Sculptor, Sailor, Knitter, Oneirologist, Communicator, Hair stylist, Lifeguard, Pageant Queen, Ethical Hacker, Auctioneer, Fashion Designer, Gambler, Pub Manager, Doll Maker, Surfer, ? (Kazumi's Talent)

 **Laughable Rejects Talents** : Lucky Student, Unlucky Student, Tragic Knight, Soothsayer, Garbologist, Tea Brewer, EMT, Vigilante, Jpop Idol, Defense Attorney, Risk Analyst, Charmer, Survivalist, Songwriter, Arsonist, eSports Pro, Clown, Research Scientist, Prosecutor, Digital Artist, Runner, ? (Banri's Talent)

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So yeah, now that that's out of the way, here are the conditions to keep in mind when making an OC for this story. This form is also on my profile, so you can copy and paste it from there as well, you're welcome X3.

 **RULES FOR OC'S FOR REMNANTS OF MY HEART!**

 **1)** **No Mary Sues or Gary Stus, nobody is flawless and having perfect characters really doesn't resonate well with people, I'm looking at you Sonia and Chiaki, even though I like them both.**

 **2)** **No canon talents and be original with them, and yes V3 talents don't count either. Something fresh would be more welcome. (Talents from Hope's Lie & Salty Waves and Bloody Coral & Laughable Rejects will not be accepted either). I want to test you guys to see if your minds are as creative as I think they are.*  
** ***However I will allow a variation of a talent for example Detective, either a Police Officer or Private Investigator.**

 **3) This story's theme is my own original take called Redemption Vs Revenge. (Not sure how it'll work bear with me guys, who knows).**

 **4) Anything in parenthesis you can delete to make the submission form easier to understand and for me to read also make sure to keep each OC PM in a single thread as to avoid cluttering my Inbox, thank you.**

 **5) You can send in a max of three characters, anymore would be too much and frustrating to keep track of.**

 **6) Due to my current situation and state of mind, these chapters will be sporadic at worst, so don't expect a new chapter every minute or so. I prioritize quality rather than quantity, I hope you understand.**

 **7) No RECYCLED OC, this is a must since my stories are all in the same universe. It doesn't make sense to have the same talents in different stories, unless you can give me a good reason for the talent, or if the OC was rejected or the story was discontinued. If the story is discontinued, you need to get permission from the author first before sending in the OC.**

 **8) PM's only, review OC's would be rejected as everyone can see them and it ruins the fun for everyone involved.**

 **9) Please space out each requirement on the form, I wear glasses and having to read congested words on a form is one of my pet peeves.**

 **10) I won't write certain M rated themes such as anything related to sexual assault/violence, child p*rn, rape or racism or anything of that nature within the story. I know this is Danganronpa and anything goes, but personally I don't feel comfortable writing material like that. However if it incorporates into the character's backstory then I will give some leeway.**

 **11) Please Title the Form: Remnants of My Heart SYOC - "Insert Character Name"**

Finally these are the standards for character submissions:

 **Name (First name then last name):**

 **Nickname (optional):**

 **Age (13-30):**

 **Birthday:**

 **Height:**

 **Weight:**

 **Gender (the farthest I will go is non-binary, but that's it):**

 **Sexuality (I'm open to LGBTQ characters so go wild):**

 **Nationality:**

 **Race:**

 **Ultimate Talent:**

 **How did they become a Remnant of Despair?:**

 **What did they do as one?:**

 **Why did they choose rehabilitation? Voluntarily, Forced to, Coerced? (Explain if you have something else in mind):**

 **Personality (be detailed, I love paragraphs):**

 **Appearance (make them detailed but not like five paragraphs, general physical traits like hair, skin, build etc.):**

 **Special Features (Tattoos, scars, piercings stuff like that):**

 **Mannerisms/Quirks:**

 **Strengths (Both Mental and Physical):**

 **Weaknesses (Same with Strengths):**

 **Mental Health Issues (optional):**

 **Clothing (you can have them be shirtless but not fully nude):**

 **Swimwear:**

 **Sleepwear:**

 **Formal attire:**

 **Accessories:**

 **Backstory (Not everyone is going to have a happy childhood, but don't go too overboard with the darkness okay, and make it long I love paragraphs):**

 **Romance, if at all? (I love romance but will try my best if I get good matches):**

 **Likes (five please):**

 **Dislikes (same as likes):**

 **Hobbies:**

 **Free Time Event Ideas:**

 **Victim/Killer/Survivor (no guarantees, this is just so you can convince me to kill them or keep them ticking and alive):**

 **Justification for each one:**

 **Mastermind (do you want them to be a mastermind?):**

 **Motive/s for murder:**

 **Execution style (give me what Monokuma would do for their execution, bonus points if it relates to their talent):**

 **Reaction to a body (innocent):**

 **Reaction to a body (guilty):**

 **Investigation role (I don't want twenty kyoko's or chiaki's, diversify who does what)**

 **Innocent:**

 **Guilty:**

 **Trial Roles (are they talkative, quiet, commentators, jokers, aggressors or sheep)**

 **Innocent:**

 **Guilty:**

 **Reaction to classmate executed:**

 **Reaction to being accused (Innocent):**

 **Reaction to being accused (Guilty):**

 **Reaction to being caught:**

 **How would they lie (are they good at it, quiver and break down or don't care if they deceived someone):**

 **How would they express the truth:**

 **Darkest Fear:**

 **Darkest Secret:**

 **People they'd befriend:**

 **People they'd despise:**

 **People they'd crush on:**

 **Important people in their life:**

 **How would they react to being in a Killing Game?:**

 **How would they react to the mastermind bringing up their past as a Despair?:**

 **Dialogue (to help me understand your character better):**

 **Japanese Voice Actor (optional):**

 **English Voice Actor (optional):**

 **Other (basically anything else you'd want me to add):**

* * *

I hope you all liked this intro and if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them for you. I'll try my best to answer them and give you feedback and so forth. Also if you notice another name on the submission list, she is my second OC in this story, so if you wanted to make a matchmaker, I apologize in advance XD. I also have the liberty of making a larger cast as you all know me X3. The form is on my profile, so feel free to copy and paste it to your leisure.

Have a lovely day or night my fellow authors or readers, bye bye!

* * *

 **SUBMISSIONS**

37x Male  
33x Female  
1x Non-Binary

X1 Party Princess  
X1 M.C.  
X1 Courier  
X1 Sheriff  
x1 Crusader  
x1 Artist  
X1 Ripperologist  
x1 Virtuoso  
x1 Snuggler  
x1 Hide And Seeker  
x1 Puppeteer  
x1 Servant  
x1 Cult Leader  
x1 Lighthouse Keeper  
x1 Game Show Host  
x1 Referee  
x1 Deception Expert  
X1 True Crime Novelist  
x1 Graffiti Artist  
x1 Historian  
x1 Tailor  
x1 Dark Poet  
x1 Perfumer  
X1 Lacrosse Player  
x1 Demonologist  
x1 Hotel Manager  
x1 Event Planner  
x2 Toymaker  
x1 Explosives Technician  
x1 Confectioner  
x1 Children's Card Game Player  
x1 Surfer  
x1 Plastic Surgeon  
x1 Time Traveler  
x1 Analyst  
x1 Kenpo  
x1 Jetsetter  
x1 Swordsman  
x1 Weather Girl  
x1 Idol  
x1 K-Drama Actress  
x1 Talent Agent  
x1 Librarian  
x1 Kalimba Player  
x1 Capoeirista  
x1 Stop Motion Animator  
x1 Philanthropist  
x1 Detective  
x1 Train Bomber  
x1 Paranormal Investigator  
x1 Birdkeeper  
x1 Playwright  
x1 Special Effects Makeup Artist  
x1 Game Designer  
x1 Mask Maker  
x1 Priest  
x1 Mother  
x1 Sociologist  
x1 Bodyguard  
x1 Lover  
x1 Gravedigger  
x1 Snake Charmer  
X1 Insomniac  
x1 Field Marshal  
x1 Muckracker  
x1 Ratcatcher  
x1 Actor  
x1 Resistance Leader  
x1 Professional Mourner  
x1 Thief

 **ROMH ROSTER (Not finalized)**

 **Males** :

Tadashi Jonetsu - Ultimate Romance Novelist (Me)

Ezra Joseph Harvey - Ultimate Lighthouse Keeper (TheRoseShadow21)

Naiki Yagami - Ultimate Referee (RioA)

Yuya Yuki - Ultimate Children's Card Game Player (Heroi Oscura)

Mitsuhiro Toshikei - Ultimate Playwright (Shyjoker)

Kasasagi Nikushimi - Ultimate Birdkeeper (PoisonBanana)

?

?

?

?

?

?

 **Females** :

Ayaka Yakusoku - Ultimate Matchmaker (Me)

Chikara Kuronaga - Ultimate Cult Leader (Sharkeye)

Eri Morita - Ultimate True Crime Novelist (Ziggymia123)

Viktoria Zeigler - Ultimate Analyst (tobi-is-an-artist-too)

Renata Salatka - Ultimate Special Effects Makeup Artist (Crimson Spider Lily)

Kidiru Benihime - Ultimate Mother (ChaoticMercy)

?

?

?

?

?

?

 **DEADLINE LATE SUMMER 2020! (WOW A LONG DEADLINE XD)**


	2. Prologue: Sickly Sweet Sugar

**Editor: Crimson Spider Lily**

* * *

I'd forgotten how long I'd been on that accursed bus; god knows how long I've had to endure the stench of raw sweat and moldy leftover pizza with cockroaches littered underneath the seats, nibbling the remains of everyone's favorite guilty pleasure. Each passing second felt like an eternity and the interior, smelling of old cheese and musty wet socks, made my nose shrivel up inside my head. The bus driver had driven past many nearby towns, dropping the passengers off to their respective destinations.

The two middle-aged salarymen glared at me as they walked down the aisle, stopping at a nearby office district with large towering office buildings piercing the rigid, yet calm sky above. The middle school girl and the five year-old boy, who I overheard was her younger brother, left after the two men, a few bus stops later, near a residential area while the elderly cat lady and her rabid pet hissed at me as they slowly made their way out, her denture's spit splashing onto my skin rather sloppily. To say I was disgusted was an understatement, but at least I was the only person left, bar the bus driver himself, as I tried to salvage what little solace I had in this tiny run-down vehicle.

The halcyon sunset had sunk slowly away in favor of a dim bluish orange evening, with the clouds growing darker, pregnant notions of rain starting to form as droplets tapped against the bus window pane harmoniously. It wasn't night time, or at least I thought it wasn't; I hadn't packed a watch with me, so I relied solely on the ever changing weather as my colorful hourglass.

The bus driver looked in his above head mirror, noticing I was still on the bus as he grunted and snorted loudly, waking me up out of my brief dazed state. He didn't take too kindly to having to drop me off to the project site, judging from the greasy scornful scowl on his face and a cold glare aimed in my direction. It seemed my destination was out of his bus route and this only irritated him further as he continued staring at me like some kind of creepy stalker.

"Is there something I can help you with, sir?" I looked back at him, slightly irked by his constant glaring, "You should really focus on the road, you could get into a serious accident staring at me for too long."

"Don't sass me, remnant boy," he grumpily retorted, his meaty hands gripping the black steering wheel tightly, "Just be thankful I'm even letting you on my bus in the first place."

"Alright, whatever helps you sleep at night," I shrugged, sighing at his obstinance, "Don't blame me when the airbag smacks you in the face."

After that 'polite' exchange, there was an awkward, almost radio silent pause inside the bus, minus the engine noises. The driver kept his eyes vigilantly on the road, but I could feel his angry aura radiating throughout the bus, increasing the tension between us tenfold. He never said anything to the other people who left earlier, either giving them half-hearted grunts or a dissatisfied smile that would give anyone depression just from looking at him, talk about rude.

"You know…." he continued, tapping his finger on the steering wheel as we passed by a countryside pasture, "My brother was killed by one of y'all, remnant scum," he mouthed off, "He was on his way to his first ever job interview, one he spent months preparing for, before it all went to shit."

"Is that right?" I raised an eyebrow; he was probably about to go on some boring tirade like all the others did, "Well I'm very sorry for your loss, sir."

"Don't be, what's done is done," he grunted audibly, clearly holding some pent-up rage in his system, "Just don't try any funny things on my bus, got it, pal?"

"Aye aye captain," I rolled my eyes, nodding with a defeated sigh.

Well that was riveting then was it. Thank goodness he kept his thoughts curt, I'd hate to hear his entire fucking sob story. As inconsiderate of me to think something like that, put yourself in my shoes dear reader. Imagine having the entire populace jeer and assume the worst of you, just because one high school girl brainwashed you into her cultish and brain dead ideology. Sure we did end up killing, stealing, pillaging and all those other malicious buzzwords, but in my defense, we were hypnotized into that mindset and she did take advantage of us when the system failed to help in any way shape or form.

It may sound like I'm making excuses, which I am, but when she introduced me to that video, it really sunk in that there really was no hope in life. Hope itself was a joke; it only offered peace when it was convenient for them and when it ran out, they left the rest to pick up the scraps from the floor, as if we were common slaves licking their polished grimy boots. If you want my advice, they should have spent more time into educational counseling and other programs, instead of flaunting their success in others faces like it wasn't evident that we all went to the same school.

What made Hope's Peak different from any other preppy, elitist private school to begin with?

Privilege and power go hand in hand. If you ask me, that school misused its authority to police the normal folks in its offshoot school for average people, but when the problem came from one of their prized ultimate students, suddenly they're clutching their pearls and praying to some higher entity for forgiveness. Maybe that's why she was able to persuade those normies to her side. Serves that shitty school right for favoring one group over the other. What a bunch of lying, elitist hypocrites.

"Another one….just fantastic," the bus driver sarcastically remarked, the bus coming to an almost screeching halt.

 **Ayaka**

"Today is the day," I psyched myself in the mirror as I gazed at my reflection, "You've been waiting for this moment forever. Just remember to keep a smile at all times."

I cheered myself up, trying to ready my mind into a state of contentment as I perused my image in the mirror. I was just finishing up my usual daily look, nothing too special. My long orange hair messily rested against my right shoulder and dangled near my chest in a fluffy manner, with some hair strands sticking out and around, accentuating the loose ends in each one. My bright blue eyes gleamed in the mirror's lackluster shine as I blinked and tried brushing the top of my head with little success. I had already moisturized my fair white skin with some herbal cream I bought at the farmer's market earlier today and there was some semblance of a farmer's tan caked on my skin from the raging heat outside from yesterday's excursion. I didn't really fuss about my appearance all that much; some considered me a natural beauty and others suggested that I should wear a little bit of makeup, but to be honest I personally didn't mind their words.

If anything, I was more concerned over my outfit than my looks, but I was rather happy to attain this privilege and bore with this outfit in stride, even if it was a tad gaudy and over dramatic. If anything this was more my work clothes than how I would usually dress, but if this was what I had to wear, then so be it, I didn't really have much problems with it.

I wore a white dress with a flared-out skirt that had yellow trim along the edges. A golden sash was wrapped diagonally across my chest, resting on my left shoulder, before being also snugly wrapped around my waist, a red heart pin attached to its left side. My white ballet shoes' red ribbons were laced up to my thighs and connected to clear white stockings that hugged my legs comfortably. Red gems lay at the center of my shoes in the center of yellow bow straps.

For accessories, they were more than formal. White gloves, tied with yellow lace ribbon, covered both of my hands; the right glove had a purple flower wrapped around its center while the left had a small rose gem in its middle. A golden choker with a pink heart emblem rested around my neck. I was also sporting a white headband with a bright yellow flower on the right side of my head. Finally, to finish my flowery look, my ponytail was fashioned with a pink flower scrunchie that secured my timeless look in place.

"Alright, you can do this," I psyched myself up once more, "Just walk out that door and everything will be fine. There's no turning back now."

While arranging my bags, I glanced over to my vanity mirror with all my stuff and noticed the letter sprawled open for anyone to look at. It read very formally, much like any acceptance letter, but this one was different.

 _Dear Ms. Yakusoku,_

 _Thank you very much for accepting an application to join the Despair Me Not Program. We know it's not easy coming forward as a former remnant of despair, but we appreciate your sacrifice. As a candidate of this program, you are guaranteed a safe and affordable program that allows you to hone your skills as an Ultimate as well as change your ways. If you wish to cancel at any time, feel free to let us know by contacting this number._

 _XXX-XXXX-XXXX_

 _We hope you have a wonderful time at the DMN Program, and remember, Hope is always on your side._

 _Signed,_

 _Suzuko Tsutsumi_

 _Head of the Despair Me Not Program_

This letter was a miracle come true. I could have the opportunity to start all over, a new life and a second chance at survival. It had been a while since the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History and everyone was trying to reel themselves from the past and move on with their lives.

I tried denying that this would work out, given that it was too perfect to be true, but a part of me hoped and longed for something as miraculous as this. I didn't have many options to begin with, and I couldn't stay here anymore in ignorant bliss. I grabbed the letter from the table, gazing at a picture frame on the opposite side of my dresser and noted a happy family of a mother, father and their beautiful baby girl that smiled with a wide grin on her rosy, plump face.

"If only things were different…." I sighed deeply, getting nostalgic as usual, "But I can't always look to the past, onward and upward as they say."

I wasn't sure what to carry with me, but I was reassured that all my expenses would be paid for in return for my compliance. I guess when I heard that, it was reason enough for me to snatch the opportunity before it expired.

I grabbed my plain red travel suitcase, accessorized with many pins and stickers, slapped my cheeks and gripped the handle as I exited my room with a pep in my step. I made my way downstairs as I noticed that someone had left the living room TV on and left a news station playing in the background of the dimly lit room. I walked up close to hear the broadcast as I overheard the word 'Remnant' and froze in place, all the life from my body drained from hearing that single word.

"And in other news," a very handsome male reporter said with a charming smile plastered on his tan face, "Protestors have gathered outside the Future Foundation building this morning, demanding they hand over the rest of the remnants as they claim that the company are harboring in their custody."

"That's right Rinji," a pretty female reporter who sat on his right said, "Many outraged civilians seem to have qualms with this new program that's been dubbed "The Despair Me Not Program."

I stood there blankly, watching the news anchors broadcast the footage of the Future Foundation building and showing an aerial overview of the ground. It seemed that many large groups had blocked the bridge connecting the island to the rest of Japan, from what I could see.

"The Advocates of Hope, as they call themselves, have knocked over barricades and police officers helping to escort workers to the building, as they keep demanding that the program hand over the remnants in their care for what they call 'true judgement."

"That's a very nice way to put it, Akeno," the male anchor smirked, gesturing with a short chuckle, "Let's hear what some of these advocates have to say for themselves," he continued, "Reporting live at the scene itself, Rira Uegaki, how's it looking over there Rira?"

As the anchors droned on, the sense of dread pervaded throughout my body as I felt somewhat uneasy, hearing the live footage of the crowd's rebellious roars and chanting, filling my ears with nothing but hate and vitriol. Then, it immediately cut to a young female reporter at the scene.

"Thank you Rinji and Akeno. We are now live here on the site of what appears to be a rather rowdy protest orchestrated by these Advocates of Hope," she said as security guards continued shoving angry protestors to the side, "Fortunately, there haven't been any casualties, but it seems the police are having a hard time keeping everything under control."

She continued talking as the chants and cries of the crowd grew louder and more cacophonous. She then walked over to a few of the people marching with the protest and tried getting interviews with each of them, putting the microphone in the belly of the beast.

"This is simply outrageous!" an older man shouted, probably a middle-class worker judging from his attire, "These monsters took our family and friends' lives and this so called corporation wants to help liberate them from true punishment? What a complete joke! This company should be ashamed of themselves for harboring violent criminals!"

The clearly amused reporter kept pointing the microphone at other protestors, almost egging them on as she continued listening to their words like a child listening to a bedtime story.

"My entire property had been vandalized and pillaged by those ruffians and now I can't even pay my mortgage!" a middle-aged woman with caked-on makeup screamed into one of the reporter's mics, "It's an utter disgrace that these loonies keep those devils under protective custody as if they were more important than their own citizens' well-being!"

"Yo, fuck the Future Foundation!" a younger man wearing baggy clothing interrupted, with the swear word bleeped out as they normally do for live television, "Those morons spend more time pampering those privileged losers than they do assuring us of our safety! I say we break open their doors and give them what for!"

"Yeah totally," a garishly dressed girl with a spray-on tan said right after him, hogging the mic as if she were going to eat it, "I mean like...these people are totes evil, why not just let us do the job that the police and authorities are too scared to do ourselves and end this nonsense! Like seriously..."

After the reporter removed the mic from the clearly agitated crowd, a loud cry was echoed through the TV so loud that it could almost shatter glass.

"KILL ALL THE REMNANTS!" the crowd soon roared, repeating the same line over and over again, "GIVE US THEIR HEADS!"

"Woah, well there you have it everyone," the reporter's face expressed complete shock mixed with mischievous anticipation after hearing their statements, "Clearly a passionate group if you ask me. We'll keep you posted with more live coverage, Rira Uegaki Station 5 News."

Soon after, they cut the live footage and the same two anchors from before appeared back on screen. I felt even more jittery, with the transition jolting me with a sense of fear and nervousness.

"Thanks Rira," he then turned his attention to his co-anchor, "Very colorful language indeed," Rinji remarked, his eyebrows raised hearing the words from the crowd themselves, "What are your thoughts on this, Akeno?"

"If you ask me, while I don't condone their actions," she trailed off, deliberating her words, "I agree that these remnants should be given proper justice. It's been far overdue at this point and keeping them under lock and key will only anger the people even more."

"Well there you have it folks, that was your daily update on the recent protests from the Advocates of Hope, now on to sports with Kisho Takamitsu!" he quickly segued into the next report so nonchalantly.

After seeing that broadcast, I knew once and for all that this program was my one way ticket to true redemption and acceptance. I couldn't keep sitting around and watching it a second further without cringing or feeling queasy. I walked slowly into the room, before noticing someone sleeping underneath the futon. I knew him all too well, but still sighed deeply when I noticed his presence.

He was hunched over, slobber dripping from his lips as loud snoring overshadowed the rest of the sports broadcast. Beer cans and bottles of booze littered the stained tatami matted floor, as puddles of whiskey smudged the design and the smell of cigarette smoke contrasted heavily with the house's rustic fruity scent. Unfortunately it was an all too familiar one that I've grown used to.

"Goodbye...Dad," I walked towards the front door, not looking back as I clutched my suitcase in hand and stepped out to embrace the fresh new start awaiting me.

I walked out of my house and greeted the oddly quiet evening with a bright smile on my face. I'd prefer to have left during the early morning, but the bus usually didn't come this far and it's better than having people noticing me leave out of the blue.

I trekked on the flat rocky trail to the bus stop as I passed by small houses and vendor's shacks along the way, each one dimly lit with lanterns as I heard the faint buzzing noises of insects humming in the air. I took one last deep breath of the fresh country air as I continued on, arriving near the edge of town as it seemed that I had just made it in time.

"Oh thank goodness I made it…." I smiled calmly, briskly making my way there as the bus drove to my location, "I wonder what the others are like? I hope some of them are friendly."

 **Tadashi**

It seemed that we had arrived in a small village, judging from the grassy, yet snowy mountains outside the window view. Little brown houses lit up the town as lanterns illuminated the stony walkway where the bus stop was. It wasn't that dark out, but I could tell the clouds were going to rain soon as the lights in the bus turned on immediately while I got a somewhat clear view of who was coming on board.

The bus driver parked the bus along the road near the stop as he opened the door and awaited the person who was briskly sauntering over with a suitcase in their grasp.

"Oh? Now who is this?" I wondered, hoping the bus driver didn't overhear me, "Another passenger here to sneer at me?"

As the figure grew closer, they immediately hopped on board and I saw that they were a girl. She was busy talking to the bus driver, as she smiled at him with a pearly white smile, handing him her ticket fare and a note similar to mine as he shrugged her off and waited for her to find a seat on this cramped bus.

"Huh, not what I expected from someone joining this program," I raised an eyebrow, taking in her appearance as she waded through the aisle, while fiddling with her suitcase.

She had long orange hair that was fashioned into a messy side ponytail resting on the right side of her chest, her bright blue eyes glistening in the garishly yellow bus lighting, her fair white skin was clear but she had a slight hint of a tan and she was rather skinny, but looked to be healthy on average.

She wore a ridiculously pure white flared skirt dress, with gold trimmings along the edges, with red ribbons interlaced around her stockings, which were connected to her white flats. Her accessories were so offensively girly that I almost mistook her for some kind of fairy tale princess ripped straight from any children's fantasy book, as she wore flowery accessories and white gloves to finish the fairy tale like ensemble.

I was almost enchanted by her simplistic beauty; she looked like one of those characters you'd see in an animated film, with her being the titular character. She looked almost out of place for someone who I assumed was going to attend this program, and it wouldn't surprise me if she were actually heading to some friend's wedding or something akin to that.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" she asked as she approached the one in front of me.

"Nah, go right ahead, I'm the only passenger on this bus," I smirked at her naive comment, "Unless you count the roaches hiding within the creases of the seats."

"Thanks?" she tilted her head, resting herself in the dusty seat, with her suitcase near the window, "Pardon me, but are you headed to the Despair Me Not Program?"

Well, I guess I was wrong to assume that she was on this bus for other reasons. Still, while I disliked the idea of talking with someone as innocent-looking as her, I decided that it'd be better than sitting around in awkward silence as Mr. Grump kept glaring at me the whole ride.

"Yes I am, darling," I winked at her, a wry smile formed on my face, "Might I assume you are as well?"

She paused, sighing with relief, but also happy at the same time after hearing my answer.

"Yeah I am! I thought I was the only one, thank goodness for that," she chuckled happily, a warm smile painted on her rosy-cheeked face, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, my name is Ayaka Yakusoku, I'm considered the Ultimate Matchmaker by Hope's Peak!"

 **AYAKA YAKUSOKU - ULTIMATE MATCHMAKER**

Now her cartoonishly romantic outfit made a lot more sense. I didn't expect that from someone like her, but I will say she is giving Cupid a run for his money with how adorably she's dressed. She looked too good to be true, as she stared at me with her friendly expression and her overjoyed movements, as if she were a character straight out of a kids film. She sat perfectly in her seat, humming to herself as she stared out the window nostalgically.

She reminded me of one of my characters from a novel I once wrote a while back, I couldn't remember the name off the top of my head. That same happy-go-lucky, perky and joyous attitude that would cure depression itself and a doting smile that would give you two heart attacks in a row; it felt all too familiar to me and it made me somewhat nauseous. However, I continued to play along, not wanting to seem like a complete jackass to someone I just met who had been nothing but polite so far.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Ayaka, at least someone has the decency to greet me," I responded with a bit of sass, hinting to the bus driver as he snorted loudly, "You've probably heard of me, but I'm Tadashi Jonetsu, Ultimate Romance Novelist, if you're looking for an autograph, then ask away."

As if almost by sudden coincidence, she stopped moving, stared keenly at me and glanced up and down, before gasping.

"Oh. My. God! Oh my god! It's you aaaaaaaaaaa!" she gasped once more, but added a super high pitched squeal at the end, that scared the bus driver out of his seat momentarily, "The Thief of Lovers Hearts' himself! Y-You're really him!"

"Heh, I see my name precedes me," I chuckled arrogantly, a wide grin forming on my face as I nodded at her.

"I'm like one of your biggest fans, Mr. Jonetsu!" she squealed again, "I love your work, "Starry Soirée" is probably one of my favorite novels of yours of all time! Lila is my favorite romantic lead ever, I related to her so much and was able to empathize with her struggles too!"

"Right, that's the one!" I remembered the name after she said it, "Thanks for reminding me Aya dear, and please, call me Tadashi, adding Mr. makes me feel old and crusty."

"I can't believe it…." she shrunk happily in her seat, her cheeks flushed a pretty red color, "Your work…..it actually inspired me to help pair couples up and help them find love! Just like in your other book "Misguided Mates", my second favorite about two wayward teens seeking counseling for their mental health, but finding love with each other in the process!"

"I'm flattered, sweetie," I chuckled again, appreciating the ego stroking even more, "I don't mean to brag, but I consider those novels my magnum opus, my more gritty works to date."

"Ooh, really? I had heard about it online, but I honestly stumbled on them by happenstance!" her eyes sparkled, as she kept listening intently, "That reminds me, can you sign those copies for me right now? I have them with me."

She then rifled through her bag as I sat up properly, grabbing one of the markers from my duffle bag and readying my hand, almost like a trained athlete at the starting line. I had signed lots of books in my career, but I never grew tired of the fans appreciation, so it was a nice trade off for cramped wrists and potential carpal tunnel.

"H-Here they are!" she presented the two books to me rather giddily, her smile quivering and her expression changed from glee to ecstasy, "S-Sorry if the ends are a bit crumpled…I like to dog ear my books, hehehe..."

"Nah it's alright, I've seen worse," I laughed half-heartedly, remembering that one time a fan left mysterious goop on one of her books before I signed it.

I received both books, taking the black marker in my hand and signing each cover page with ease, like an ice skater gracefully skating along the ice. I always went a little extra with my signatures, sometimes curling the i at the end of my name or adding a weird tail to the end of the T, but my fans didn't seem to mind.

"To my dearest Ayaka, a beautiful flower in this vast field," I finished signing, adding a cute little tag on each one for her, "Here you go."

"Aaaa! I can't believe it...I got it...I can die happy now and have no regrets!" she cried cheerfully, almost falling out of her seat as she held the books close to her heart, "And you even added a little note about the kanji in my name too..I'll cherish these forever!"

"Always happy to brighten a fan's day, it's the least I can do for all the support you have given me over the years," I smiled contently, "Maybe during the program, you could be a model for my inspiration for my next main character?"

The matchmaker paused, dropping her books in her lap suddenly as her cheerful expression beamed brighter than ever.

"YES!" she shouted, accepting my offer with little hesitation, "I'D LOVE TO, OH MY GOODNESS! THIS IS SO AMAZING!"

She looked so flushed with excitement that she could barely contain herself. I don't blame her, it's not everyday you get to meet your idol or your favorite creators in person, it's sad that we met through unconventional means like this. It did make me wonder, how a perfectly nice girl like her became a Remnant in the first place and what caused it?

"So Ayaka," I rested comfortably in my seat, "I know it's not my place to ask, but what's a girl like you doing on a bus headed to the DMN program?"

Almost instantly, she clammed up, switching attitudes at the drop of a dime. She sat anxiously in her seat, regaining her composure and putting her signed books back into her travel bag.

"I uh…..I really don't feel like talking about it right now," she twirled her hair shakily, her eyes forming a despondent look, "I'm sorry Tadashi, but maybe another time."

"That's cool, I'm sorry for pestering you about it," I backed off, giving her time to adjust to her new situation, "I mean no offense, but you don't look like someone who would be apart of this program to begin with."

"Heh, I knew you'd say something like that," she smiled, brushing off her previous worry and switching to a nervous blush, "Let's just say...I'm not proud of what I did, it really scarred me."

Now what on earth would shatter this wannabe flower girl's perception of reality so badly that it would cause her to change her behavior so suddenly? Is it as bad as what I did? I was curious to know more, but pressing this random stranger I just met would make me look even more jerkish than before and I didn't need another reason for Mr. bus driver to boot me off the currently moving vehicle.

"In any case, we're both on our way to get rehabilitated," I reassured her comfortingly, "We can leave all of that behind us and look towards a better future, as cheesy as that sounds."

"Y-Yeah...you're right," she smiled wider, this time with more enthusiasm in her tone, "It's all in the past. Well, I look forward to working alongside you Tadashi and thank you for the autographs!"

"Don't mention it," I nodded, yawning sleepily as the drizzling rain started to grow intensely as water droplets pitter pattered against the window frame.

Ayaka gazed outside listlessly, resting her head against the glass as she hummed quietly to herself. It was a lovely little melody, reminiscent to a lullaby a mother would sing to her newborn baby; it felt oddly soothing, yet also brought back bad feelings.

As the bus rode on and the rain started to fall, I grew tired from all the excitement and dozed off, closing my already heavy eyelids and letting time pass as we ventured on to the designated site. That girl, whoever she was, seemed too good to be true, as I've learnt that the hard way myself.

Nothing in life is ever so simple nor is it ever black or white…..

* * *

 **A/N** : Hi everyone, lovely to see you all again, apologies for my absence and my hiatus. I had to take a long and well deserved mental break as well as focus on my final exams for Fall. I'm sorry if this came out so late, but I wanted to make this chapter in hopes that it might encourage you all to check out my story.

I know that I've been lazy with my updates and you all are probably expecting one or two for my other stories, which I will do, but time hasn't been my friend as of late, given my dwindling mental health and my state of mind. Also, I have family over for Christmas break so that also took time out of my day as well. Christmas shopping is so tiring y'all.

What do you guys think of this chapter, and what do you think of Ayaka as a character so far? I plan to switch between their perspectives, so I hope that's alright. I love experimenting with unique characters' point of views and I plan to take many risks with my upcoming stories as well as the ones I'm currently working on, including this.

I also made this chapter as a small reminder that I'm still accepting OC submissions until summer of 2020, so you all have plenty of time to make your characters for the last twelve spots. I'm sorry if the submissions list is overwhelming, but rest assured, I'm taking my time with these forms and the ones I've accepted so far have all been perfect for what I had imagined. I look forward to seeing what kinds of OC you have planned, and I will see you all in the next update, whenever I decide to post next.

If you need an idea of what I need next, I have a few suggestions. I need more crazy or loopy types of characters, the types who overdosed on despair and are suffering from withdrawal, this can range in many forms. I also want a leader like character, someone who can bring the group together during hard times, either gender will work. I also would love more smug or pompous characters, someone full of themselves or haughty. Lastly, I need more mastermind candidates as well, so keep in mind the theme is Lust, a mastermind centered around that would be perfect.

However keep in mind, I don't need anymore depressed, socially awkward or shy characters. I also don't need anymore overly friendly or positive types of OC as I have too much of both types already. Also no more friendly or parental types of characters, I have too many of them, so in general I need more crazy types if possible and make them unique and not just plain crazy.

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday and I hope you have a great day, night or whatever it is you are celebrating at this point in time. I can say my editor had the best time reacting to the character talk, it made both of our days XD.

Happy reading my fellow readers, authors and otaku alike, hope you're holidays are filled with joy, merry and all that good stuff. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Bye bye!


	3. Prologue: Rose Tinted Intros (Pt1)

**Editor: Crimson Spider Lily**

* * *

 **Tadashi**

As I slumbered away, waiting for the bus to arrive at its next location, I pondered what kinds of individuals would be present in this program and what kinds of horrible crimes they have committed to end up there like myself and the fairy princess in the seat ahead of me. Were they just as terrible as us? Or did they somehow manage to top us in terms of angst and horror?

A true quandary for any remnant seeking change and rehabilitation.

I think it was even more shocking to see someone like Ayaka hop on the bus and announce that she too was joining the program as a former remnant. You'd never expect this sweet, innocent and naive-looking girl to have harbored any bad feelings or to have fallen into despair in the first place. If anything, I'd assume she was actually a spy sent in by Hope's Peak to infiltrate this program to see if it's worth its merit.

Then again, that'd be a shitty plot twist, if you ask me. I mean, to expect this completely out of place girl to be the inside mole of all people would be something out of a cheesy mystery novel written by a two star hack, but stranger things have happened, so it's not totally out of the realm of possibility.

There had been many rumors; specifically mentioning that the so called Advocates of Hope had been sending in spies to secretly assassinate the leftover remnants after the tragedy's end. Many have even speculated that some of them went undercover to suss out the apologists giving the stragglers refuge during this depressing and contentious time in human history.

There was still so much vitriol and residual paranoia that even people who were neutral or allied with those advocates were also subject to subterfuge and violence if they so much as stepped out of line or showed any ounce of nuance or empathy towards remnants like us.

Frankly, those so called advocates are just a glorified mob of protestors seeking to justify their rabid blood lust by killing other human beings they deem "unfit to walk back into society".

Much like how I despised Hope's Peak for showing favoritism to privileged prodigies like myself, I also especially hated those advocates who claimed to be on the side of justice, only to act reprehensibly and give Lady Justice the middle finger when the first sign of blood was shed and it became a massive all out bloodbath. It's hypocrisy at its finest and human nature at its absolute peak insanity.

If you ask me, this entire world could burn and I'd not miss much or even care what happens in the end. That one neighbor you've known your entire life could easily shove a carving knife straight into your eye socket and not even flinch if they suspected you were a remnant. Or that sweet middle aged woman, who lives a few doors down in an apartment complex from you and who would bake you cookies, could secretly poison you to then drown you in your toilet while you're vomiting and she'd brush it off if you so much as gave remnants the benefit of the doubt.

Yeah, it's gotten to that point, it's the witch trials all over again.

I mean, honestly, I don't blame them for their cruel mindset; however, something always reeked of hypocrisy and projection everytime the topic was brought up. People will act so nice to you at first, but when you decide to confide in them, then suddenly that's an invitation for them to start betraying you and blackmailing you into submission when the time is right. It's a never-ending cycle of dog eats dog and it's becoming extremely sad at this point.

Long soapbox rant aside, I fucking hated those advocates and everything they stood for.

In my eyes, they were a bunch of angry, violent and repressed average joes and janes looking to excite their already boring lives with some murder and slander if it meant they could virtue signal or preach to the choir about how much better they are than us bad apples, even though they are just regular people like you or me, it's pathetic and makes me laugh everytime.

Enough about them, let's get back to the story you actually cared to sit down and listen to, shall we?

I'd been napping for a while, not sure for how long, but I was awoken by a sudden stop as my head hit the backside of the seat in front of me. It was a rather rude awakening and it also seemed to have jolted Ayaka out of whatever daze she was currently in.

"Hmph more of em…" the driver snorted, the same displeased expression was there as usual on his grimy, greasy, badly shaven face.

I peered out of the window, checking to see who he'd stopped for and noticed three people outside the bus window. Two guys stood next to the bus stop while the sole girl sat patiently before she rose up from her seat and approached the two men next to her. Due to how foggy the glass was from the rain, it was hard to make them out but as soon as they hopped on the bus, I got a better look at what they looked like.

The first passenger was one of the two aforementioned guys I had seen just now. From the looks of him, he appeared to be some kind of manual laborer.

He was quite the intimidating figure if anything. He was very tall, with medium dark skin and he had a very muscular physique to him, with broad shoulders and slightly weathered facial features; probably a sign he worked outside a lot, maybe near the seaside. His wiry black hair was curly and while he didn't have any bangs, his curls covered parts of his forehead. What stuck out to me the most were his eyes, as they were a very striking bright blue similar to the ocean's hue, only emphasized by how angular and narrow they looked, giving him a very stern expression; it was one of the few facial details I had noticed about him.

His hands were rather large, somewhat fitting with his very sizable build and I noticed small calluses on the palms of his hands, most likely from whatever line of work he was in. He looked to be about the same age as me, but had this mature aura that made him look older than how he presented himself. He was quite handsome, in a very modest sense of the word.

He wore very simple clothing, nothing too gaudy like yours truly or Ayaka. If anything, his clothing was very sailor-like, which only made me think he worked by the ocean shore even more. He wore a thin navy blue round-necked knitted jumper under a white cardigan with dark blue buttons left unbuttoned and stripes around the sleeve cuffs and on the bottom half over the jumper, simple dark blue trousers with cargo pockets and a red belt tied around his waist with the pant legs tucked into his black boots.

"Sit wherever ya like," the driver said, pointing to the seats in the back as the tall sailor acknowledged him and made his way down the narrow bus aisle, "No horseplay, got it?"

The tall man simply nodded in response and headed to the seats ahead of him.

"Ooh another person! I guess we're not the only ones, thank goodness," Ayaka's eyes widened with excitement along with a breath of relief escaping her lips, "He looks like a nice guy! Should we say hi to him?"

Her candid and optimistically naive demeanor only made me question how a person like her was accepted into this program in the first place, but I didn't ponder on it further. I decided to be the one to greet him first, since he seemed somewhat deep in thought about where it was he was going to sit as he lugged around a large bag behind his back.

"Yo, welcome aboard the loony bus!" I jokingly exclaimed, alerting him to my presence as he kept his distance, "Mind the tiny bugs hidden in your seat cushions."

"Sorry, are you talking to me?" he asked, his voice was deep, but had a very frank if not sincere tone to it, as he pointed to his chest and looked around the bus.

"Precisely that, my good fellow," I winked at him, amused by his indifference, "May we perhaps get your name? I mean we are going to be associated with each other in some fashion, might as well start off straight away!"

"Yeah, what he said, it's very nice to meet you, I'm Ayaka Yakusoku," the matchmaker chipperly greeted the man, almost falling out of her seat while doing so, "I'm the Ultimate Matchmaker!"

The sailor looked at us for a bit, mentally deciding if he wanted to chat with us, almost as if he were lost in thought over deliberating his next words. He rested the large dark blue duffle bag he carried over his shoulder in one of the bus cabinets above the seats and made his way over to us, slightly hesitant at that with somewhat anxious movements.

"Pardon me, you just caught me a bit off guard is all…." he paused briefly, clearing his throat deeply, "I'm Ezra Joseph Harvey, it's a pleasure to make both your acquaintances," he said bluntly, almost wanting to cut the conversation short, "I'm the Ultimate Lighthouse Keeper."

 **EZRA JOSEPH HARVEY - ULTIMATE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER**

Well that explains his attire and weathered looks quite a bit. I suppose I was right on the money, but I never expected his talent to be that of all things. How does one even become the best at keeping a lighthouse exactly? Is it that he keeps it the tidiest amongst all lighthouses or some shit?

It'd probably be best if I kept that nugget of inquiry to myself; judging from the looks of him, one wrong word could have his large meaty fist in my pretty face. And we all know how much that would suck.

"Nice to meet you Ezra," I politely greeted him, offering him my hand for a shake, "The name's Tadashi Jonetsu, Ultimate Romance Novelist"

Within a split second, Ezra's expression changed from a placid smile to a glum surprise after hearing my words. It sort of almost threw me for a loop; I had never met him before, but the way he reacted almost made it seem as though we had interacted previously. Maybe he was one of the people who I signed a copy of one of my books for? Did I leave such a negative impression on him in some manner? I'm not sure, but it's none of my business.

"Oh...I see," he shook my hand firmly, yet reluctantly, "Pleasure."

His handshake felt soft, yet very warm at the same time; it was earnest but I could sense some unwillingness to continue. We both ceased said shake and looked at each other almost as if one of us had just farted and were too proud to admit who it was.

"Uhh..Is something the matter Ezra?" Ayaka asked worriedly, pressing her hands on the top of the seat in front of her, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What? Oh uh…..It's nothing, sorry." He brushed the back of his neck anxiously, "It was nice talking with you two," he said stoically, brushing off Ayaka's question rather curtly, "If you'll excuse me..."

The lighthouse keeper returned to the middle seats, resting comfortably in his spot as he refrained from making further eye contact with either of us. His sudden expression change gave me the heebie jeebies, although I couldn't pinpoint why he felt like that. What could make a man of his stature and size quake in his boots? Did I say something wrong? I don't know what his damage is, but it looks like we didn't get off on the right foot from the looks of it.

"Poor guy, did I say something weird, Dashi?" Ayaka tilted her head to the side, casually assigning me a pet name, as if she were a kitten, "Do I have something on my face!?" She started touching her face randomly, pestering with her bangs nervously.

"No….he's probably just a little shy is all," I shrugged my shoulders, still trying to wrap my head around his rather brief introduction, "Let's just give him some time."

"A-Alright…" She sat back in her seat and motorboated in boredom.

I also did the same, somewhat bewildered but then focused my attention on another person who made their way down the aisle. This time it was the girl I had noticed alongside Ezra and the other boy, who looked to be busy chatting up a storm with the grumpy and already tired bus driver. If anything, she stood out like a sore thumb among the two boys, based on her appearance alone.

She looked extremely emaciated, almost as if she hadn't eaten anything in years based on how unhealthy she looked. Her skin was pale, white like a sheet, and some bone protrusion stuck out as some of the blue veins were noticeable in her sickly physique. Her hair was very long and was a muted plum-like color and was fashioned into a very long ponytail that ended close to the center of her calves, with her bangs left unevenly messy and almost reaching her tired light grey eyes. It's as if she had never seen a hairdresser in her life, judging from how her hair almost touched the ground.

Despite possessing a very unnaturally thin look, she had a very average sized chest, but that's all I'll say on that. She looked like a ghost, almost an apparition of what a human being should look like, as if she were a character ripped straight from some kind of horror thriller movie or something.

Her clothing is what piqued my interest the most, if her ghostly appearance wasn't enough to make someone double take in awe alone. She wore a long, very baggy, off-white dress shirt with all the buttons done up, sans the top one, with the neck of her shirt slightly flared out. Her shirt sleeves covered her hands halfway up to her palms and I noticed dried bloodstains strewn along the lower hem of her shirt. She wore a silver necklace with a cross charm, with the base of the cross snapped in half, almost cleanly at that as if someone had ripped it from her person while she was still wearing it. She wore a dark grey pleated skirt that ended near her ankles with a pair of white knee socks and burgundy loafers.

She gave off a very church girl type of vibe, like someone who had been sheltered almost their entire life and were forced to wear the same drab clothing over and over again.

However, the two things that stood out the most about this girl was what was on her face and what was wrapped around her wrists from what I could see. It was very hard to tell, but it appeared as though she was wearing white wrap bandages, but I couldn't tell if they were bandages due to her sleeves covering up most of her arms and her entire outfit in general covering up most of her body, quite conservatively at that.

Lastly, the one thing that made this already outlandish girl stand out more was this plague like doctor's masks she wore over her face. It was a faded black leather type of mask, similar to those worn during the black plague by doctors to deal with the sick and dying. The beak was about six or seven inches long and the glass in the left eye socket was slightly cracked, revealing her tired eye hiding behind it. The mouth section had been cut out and placed on the upper part of her face with the mask's straps almost seamlessly blending into her dark hair as if it were attached to her body. It seemed as though she had it for a long time, judging from how worn down the material of it looked, almost as if she had inherited it from someone, maybe from her grandfather or something.

She looked as though she were part of some cult-like religious group or, maybe, she was some kind of wiccan or medicinal doctor of sorts judging from her plague mask. From the shifty way she moved around the aisle, she passed by us, not even noticing our presence as she sat in the back seat across from me. She placed the white backpack she had been carrying with her on her lap as she sat there, staring at nothing as if waiting for someone to ask her what her deal was.

"Um...excuse me?" Ayaka asked the strange girl, being, of course, the first one to greet the random strangers, "Are you here for the program as well?"

The monochrome girl didn't respond, only nodding in silence as she continued listlessly staring off into the distance like some kind of anime protagonist waiting for the day of reckoning to come.

"Ok….do you have a name?" I interjected, also curious as to who she was, "Can't just call you plague girl now, can we, heh."

It was then she turned her gaze towards us, the black bags underneath her eyes highlighted in the glass eye socket of the mask's eyehole. She looked dead inside, almost as if someone had just told her that her pet recently died.

"My name? My name…." she spoke softly, almost faint like a dormouse, I had to inch closer out of my seat to hear her properly, "I-I'm Chikara Kuronaga," she sighed briefly before continuing on, "I'm a….Cult Leader."

 **CHIKARA KURONAGA - ULTIMATE CULT LEADER**

Well fuck me sideways, two for one guesses in a row. I think this guess was more on the money than with Ezra if anything. I was honestly expecting her to say she was some kind of gothic horror novelist judging from how emo she looked. I never expected her to actually be a cult leader, that's what made me almost back away in terror at how accurate my guess was.

"Oh..I uh….that's cool?" Ayaka hastily conjured up a weak reply, giving a weak thumbs up in response, "Well I hope we can get along and be best friends, Chikara! "

"Don't bother with the fake pleasantries," she said quietly, focusing her attention on the matchmaker, but with a hint of cynicism in her voice, "It's not the first time I've gotten that reaction…..I'm just another w-worthless face in the crowd...don't bother getting to know me."

Well, someone needs some tender loving care pronto. Not gonna lie, I half expected her to sell me or the naive matchmaker on joining her cult if she was a leader that she proclaimed to be. This meek girl doesn't seem like a charismatic threat whatsoever, but like I've said before, looks can be deceiving and I'd rather not put that theory to the test given what program I'm enlisting myself into. For the most part, she seems rather harmless.

"Alright then…" I awkwardly segued into something else, "I'll just leave you to it, whatever it is you are doing."

Chikara ignored us and aimlessly looked out the window to avoid eye contact, much like how Ezra reacted, but with a more swifter conclusion to the conversation than ever before. People sure are blunt these days aren't they, no one has time for smalltalk anymore, such a shame.

"I wonder what's on her mind?" Ayaka turned to me, wondering what the cult leader was so upset about, "Did we say something to offend her?"

"I don't know," I sighed, playing with the ends of my long ponytail, "Best to leave her alone for now, it's probably her brooding hour or some shit like that."

"I see….well, I suppose you're right," she whispered to me, almost feeling sorry for the goth girl, "I should make her a friendly offering later when we get to the facility proper." She perked up rather quickly, "You'd think she'd like that?."

"Maybe?" I unfastened the tie in my hair and re-tied my long hair into a ponytail, "You have fun with that…" I sighed disappointedly, watching Ayaka giddily fiddle inside her bag for something.

Moving on from the two sob stories over there, it seemed that the last person from the bus stop was quite the antithesis from the two we had just met. He looked much younger than Ezra and Chikara and he appeared to be a high schooler, if anything he stood out the most and made the cult leader look somewhat fashionable at that.

He had a very average look to him, from his fair complexion to even his average build; he possessed somewhat unremarkable details besides the sharp facial features in his jawline. His heart-shaped face was adorned by alluring icy blue eyes that were upturned and had this very shiny glint to them that made it look as though he had a big plan he was scheming up or something. He had a sharp yet small nose with thin healthy pink lips that curved into a slight grin, that gave him a very mischievous countenance that irked me for no reason. His messy pure white hair looked like freshly fallen snow and his bangs hung below his nose from the middle and some were swept above his eyes and to the opposite sides of his ears. I could faintly see a tattoo around his neck, but it was hard to make out due to his unusual choice in clothing.

He wore a black collared shirt that was neatly pressed and cleaned from the looks of it, with a light purple tie around his neck that was tucked underneath a dark purple general's suit with gold lining and purple badges clipped to his right breast pocket, almost as if he were some kind of decorated soldier of war. He wore dark black dress pants and dark purple boots which reached halfway up to his knees with the laces tied into a golden bow, much like military combat boots.

Lastly he wore a navy blue cape over his back, tied by golden lace around his person. There was a black cross pin fashioned into his bangs to show off his face even more and the most bizarre aspect of his attire was the very fact he wore a bushy fox tail around his pants as if he were some cosplaying furry who forgot the rest of his outfit at home.

I honestly had no idea what to make of this guy. He looked like some kind of cartoon villain ripped straight from a bad children's TV show that was soon cancelled after four episodes. He looked absolutely awful and I was flummoxed by his entire look to even notice that he saw us after annoying the driver for a few minutes and approached us gleefully with a shit eating grin on his face. He had a very punchable face if you ask me.

"Well well well, looks like the Future Foundation really got the shit end of the barrel in terms of candidates here!" he announced rather loudly and proudly, rattling Ezra out of his brooding daze while Chikara was slightly jittery and anxious in his presence, "I can't believe I got saddled with a bunch of mopey douches like you guys."

"Ummm..hi there," Ayaka greeted the campily dressed boy, a bit perplexed and off put by his antagonistic greeting, "It's very nice to meet you I'm-"

"Don't know, don't fucking care sugar tits," he finger gunned, giving her a wink that sent the both of us very mixed messages, "From the looks of you, I'd rather bleach my eyeballs with burning acid than dare speak another word to a party princess wannabe who'd probably drone on and on for hours."

"Oh, I'm sorry…." she apologized to him, even though he was the hostile one in the conversation, "I just uh….wanted to know your name, my apologies."

"Yeah! No need to be such a dick about it," I said aloud, gaining the gaudily dressed boy's attention, "Or are you trying to compensate for something? It's so hard to tell from how tacky your outfit is."

"Oh ho ho, a wise guy huh," he seemed keen on what I had to say, he seemed eager to start a fracas, "Well then fruitcake, I'll enlighten you then, name's Naiki Yagami, Ultimate Referee, at your service. P.S the rumors regarding me are true by the way."

 **NAIKI YAGAMI - ULTIMATE REFEREE**

"Oh so you're not just an asshole, but you're also a glorified sports judge," I retorted, somewhat smugly at that, "Did you only take the job to get back at your highschool bullies or do you really just hate yourself that much?"

He looked at me with a bored expression, yawning at my comment as if I were a teacher dragging on a class lecture after the bell had rang.

"And?" he looked unimpressed at my attempt at roasting him, "Honestly, I expected better insults from the so called romance novelist, than that," he snorted, cackling to himself, "Tell me, are you a top or bottom during sex, it's so very hard to tell based on how ugly you're dressed, who the fuck wears a heart print shirt anyway."

Oh this motherfucker.

"Did I strike a nerve?" he winked once more, noticing my discernable unease, "Thought so, I do hope we get to have a wonderful time together, it's gonna be so much fun!"

His lips curled into a cheshire cat grin and he skipped off to a seat near the front of the bus, which only seemed to earn the bus driver's ire even more.

"Well at least I'm not the one dressed like a fucking blueberry," I remarked, getting the last word in, "Need some filling for all that crustiness?"

"Dashi…" Ayaka looked at me, begging me to stop.

"Whatever, fucking weirdo," I grumpily plopped down into my seat, crossing my arms in annoyance.

The referee glomped into his seat as he stared back at me with his perpetual grin. It's almost as though he were egging me on to start some more shit with him. Unfortunately for him, I'm too tired and too handsome to debase myself in a petty squabble with a child like him.

"Why was he so mean to us?" Ayaka wondered, a bit perplexed by his attitude, "We barely just met."

"Who cares about that little troll," I shook my head, waving him off, "But I will say today hasn't been uneventful in the slightest."

"Hmm, I wonder if the other former remnants are like him?" the matchmaker sat in her seat, her finger pressed against her cheek.

"I sure hope not…" I rolled my eyes at that statement, too frantic to engage in anymore tomfoolery.

The bus continued on ahead to our destination, the driver increasingly showing signs of jumping ship just from hearing Naiki ramble on and on for what seemed like hours alone. We had passed by a few more farmside pastures until we arrived at what looked like a city area in another prefecture, not sure which one.

The large buildings towered above almost reaching the sky, as it seemed that we'd been on the bus for almost half a day judging from how dark it had gotten. The evening light faded into the dimly lit streets as it seemed the still lamp lights flickered on and off, illuminating the mildly darkened city roads ahead. The bus' front lights lit up the road, only showing us a glimpse of what's to come. The bus began to halt once more as it appeared we reached another bus stop with even more eclectic passengers; three more to be exact.

"Ooh more people!" Ayaka glimpsed out the window, seeing their faint silhouettes hidden in the shadows, "I hope they're friendly!"

"They look absolutely interesting!" Naiki remarked excitedly, snickering to himself as he inched closer to the door like an eager child at a toy store, "Who am I going to play with next."

Perturbed by the gremlin referee's uncanny cheerfulness, I peered over to the opposite side of the bus and noticed Ezra and Chikara both busy in their own little worlds. Ezra was gazing out at the city scape before him, somewhat saddened but also nostalgic from the looks of it and Chikara was already fast asleep, her mask propping up her face, but her eyes were closed as I heard faint snoring muffled by her mask's beak.

"Hiya!" a rather loud voice enveloped the quiet and bright bus, "Here's my bus fare! I didn't have much change on me."

"Fucking hell…" the bus driver covered his ear, alarmed by the person's greeting, "Just get on."

From what I could tell, the three new passengers that entered the bus were two women and one man from the looks of them. The loud voice was very feminine but aggressive sounding and it just so happened that the girl who announced her presence seemed keen on scanning the bus ahead of time.

Her faded dark blue long hair flowed around like a velvet curtain, fashioned into two long twintails with the bangs cut straight across her forehead. Her bright golden yellow eyes were like shiny golden nuggets, almost twinkling in the bus' fluorescent lighting that contrasted heavily against her rather pale skin. She was very slender and willowy, kinda like a tree branch, but looked very healthy and active, as if she regularly played sports.

She wore a silver and darkish bluish-purple triangle patterned button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up all the way to her elbows and the first few buttons left undone. Her shirt was tucked into high-waisted pants. She also wore simple brown leather combat boots that looked a bit worn in as if she had them for a very long time. To finalize her look, she wore a pretty silver choker necklace hung snugly around her neck and a pair of silver and black mismatched earrings along with a few black bracelets around her right wrist.

It was hard to tell what her talent was from the get go, unlike the other three, but judging from how she dressed, she kind of looked like some kind of hipster fashion designer.

"Ooh! You are too adorable for words!" the intense girl dropped her black carry on bag in one of the middle row seats ahead and rushed over to where we were swiftly, "What a cutie!"

"Hello-" before I could finish, she immediately shoved me off to the side and sat next to Ayaka, "Oww...lay off the strength a bit will you."

"Oops my bad," she chuckled heartily, adding a half-assed apology into the mix, "You just got in the way is all," she turned to me, snubbing me as she focused on her attention on the matchmaker once more, "What's your name?"

"Ummm I…" Ayaka fumbled around for words as the twin tailed girl got a bit too close for her liking, "My name is Ayaka Yakusoku, I'm a matchmaker."

"That's so awesome," she nudged her shoulders a bit too aggressively, "Man,I'm so excited for this program more than ever! I can't believe I just got on the bus and I've already met one cutie for the day!"

"Ahem, excuse me miss…" I tapped her on the shoulder, a bit bothered by her ignoring me.

"What?" she turned to me, her face changed from gleeful to annoyed in an instance, "Stop bothering me dude. You wanna get drop kicked out of that window?"

"Well then..." my eyes widened at her change in demeanor, "You sure are a delight, but before you brutally annihilate me, can I at least get your name?"

Ayaka seemed a bit too frazzled by the rough girl's greeting to really say much as she blushed beet red, shifting around in her seat rather embarrassedly at that.

"Oh right, introductions," she seemed rather displeased, but extended her hand out, "Name's Renata Salatka, Ultimate Special Effects Makeup Artist, dontcha forget it."

 **RENATA SALATKA - ULTIMATE SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST**

"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?" I politely but snarkily responded, taking her hand to shake it, "Pro tip, don't randomly push people aside when greeting them, it's very rude."

"Right...who are you, my dad?" she playfully snorted, both peeved and amused by my smug attitude.

We both shook hands, her grip was rather tight as she almost violently took my arm off while shaking my hand. I wanted to let go, but she seemed keen on ripping me limb from limb based on how strong she was and how adamant she seemed to put me in my place from her strong aura alone.

"Renata was it?" Ayaka intervened, while I was clenching my teeth in pain, "Is that a foreign name? I've never heard of it before."

"Yeah, I'm Lithuanian, I'm flattered you remembered my name!" she remarked happily, freeing me from her iron grip as the blowback force propelled my hand on the plexiglass window in the next seat, "I love your hair, what conditioner do you use?"

"Oh, I use this floral shampoo I bought at the farmer's market the other day," the matchmaker engaged the special effects makeup artist in playful banter, "I have some more with me, if you're interested."

"Fucking sweet!" she got pumped up, "Today just keeps getting better and better!"

Renata continued playing with Ayaka's long orange hair as if the two of them had known each other for years. The matchmaker didn't seem all too bothered by the unnecessary show of affection, but I still rolled my eyes all the same.

The girls prattled on for a while, as I tried to regain some semblance of nerves and blood flow in my slightly swollen hand. I shook it around for a bit as I picked myself up from the floor and came face to face with one of the other new passengers on the bus, this time the sole guy.

"Are you in need of aid, my good man?" His voice was rich and deep, like smooth melted chocolate, "You seemeth to have taken a nasty fall."

"No, it's quite alright," I waved off his gesture, dusting off my shirt as I turned to him, almost shocked by what I saw, "Thank you for the offer though."

He was quite tall, maybe a few inches taller than Ezra but a good average height and he appeared to be a lot older, maybe in his mid or late twenties. He had platinum waist-length hair fashioned into a shoulder braid that rested perfectly against his broad chest, his eyes were hooded and colored pink, like a deep cotton candy color, and accentuated by rather long eyelashes. His face was rectangular and he had small stubble on his cheeks that matched the color of his hair, maybe a shade darker if anything. His skin was pale white, but he looked quite athletic and in shape despite that and there was a mole on the right side of his neck along with a noticeable small faded scar between his jaw and neckline.

He wore a simple khaki shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, accompanied with a black tie around his neck, a black corset vest over his shirt along with black slacks and a pair of black boots on his feet. In terms of accessories, he wore a black band to keep his braid in place and he wore plain black gloves on his hands with noticeable white ruffles on the edges of each one to give a medieval aesthetic to his simple yet professional look.

"I hold your welcome dear to my heart, good sir," he rested his suitcase on a nearby seat and bowed almost politely at that, "Art thou here for the program as well?"

"Uh...yes?" I responded, a bit weirded out by his Shakespearean dialogue, "Ahem, will thou sayeth thy name?" I cringed at my attempt at a poetic introduction.

"My name?" He paused for a moment, intrigued by my humorous greeting, "Mitsuhiro Toshikei, I'm the former Ultimate Playwright. You can say I'm a former staff member from Hope's Peak if you will."

 **MITSUHIRO TOSHIKEI - ULTIMATE PLAYWRIGHT**

Huh, I totally didn't expect that. From the way he carried himself and how formally he was dressed, I'd assume he was some kind of fancy, elite scholar or some kind of artistic visionary, who knew it would be him of all people.

"Wait a minute….The Mitsuhiro Toshikei?" I asked, baffled by what he said, "You're the guy that wrote one of my books into a play, what was it called again….'Vengeful Dearest' was it?"

"Haha aye, I take it you're Tadashi Jonetsu, the Ultimate Romance novelist himself?" he extended his gloved hand for a shake, "I'm quite pleased to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise," I said, giving him a good, firm shake, "I really admired how well you conveyed the solemn yet comical nature of the play discussing a girl in love with a famous serial killer in her city, it's one of my more macabre stories to date. Thank you."

"No, I humbly thank you for the wonderous opportunity to grace the eyes of many with your craftsman storytelling and my sense of vision," he poetically worded his response, "However, many playwrights have been daunted by the odd structure of said work, almost confused by its deeper and meaningful lesson on human morbidity." He eloquently went on further to dissect the play, "So I took it upon myself as a personal challenge to display such serious topics, en garde if you will~"

"Woah.." I was amazed by his praise but also complexed by his mysterious way of alluding to the adaptation, "I mean I don't know what to say really, I really do admire your work."

"Please, save your adulation for later," he silenced my ramblings with a confident smile and a gloved finger to my lips, "The stage is set for a much grander denouement. For now, let us reconvene this conversation in the near future."

"Alright, cool, it was nice to finally meet you," I nodded with a pleased grin on my face, "You might want to introduce yourself to the others in the back, they're quite shy."

"Very well," he then peered over to Renata finishing her conversation with Ayaka, "Hark what beauty is this? A fair maiden basked in white like a precious flower."

He immediately walked over to Ayaka as she seemed surprised by the playwright's sudden appearance. He proceeded to gesture to her, to which she extended her hand out as he kissed it almost sensually, making the matchmaker blush as if someone had confessed their undying love for her via some kind of cheesy love letter.

"Anyway….wasn't there someone else I'm forgetting?" I wondered, before turning to see a woman sitting close to me, with a rather passionate stare in her eyes.

"Hello dear," a feminine voice asked, belonging to the woman who looked at me with a warm smile on her face, "Is anyone sitting next to you?"

"What? O-Oh no, go right ahead, miss," I made room for her on the seat, dusting it off as well.

"Thank you very much, you're too kind." She blushed, somewhat flattered at that, "And such an adorable one at that."

A bit surprised by her sudden appearance, I nodded my head and she proceeded to rest her large dark green tote bag on her side as she rested in her seat. It seemed she was the last of the three new passengers and I took a look at her as she settled in.

She had long luscious red hair that reached her hips, but was fashioned into a ponytail much like the other girls on this bus from what I've seen. Her soft baby blue eyes adorned her heart-shaped face and complimented her smooth white complexion, making her look like a princess with her almost youthful glow. She had a healthy, yet full build to her, and she looked almost welcoming upon first glance, like that one aunt you knew growing up who'd pepper you with a torrent of kisses.

She wore a dark green ankle-length dress that poofed out with frilly ends near the bottom along with a white apron placed over her dress, similar to a maid's outfit, but a bit more alluring. Finally, she wore black heels on her feet and a straw sunhat rested neatly atop her head.

From the looks of her, she seemed a lot older than the others on this bus, maybe in her late twenties, but it's extremely rude to ask a lady her age so I refrained from commenting on it.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with that eccentric man over there," she said, mentioning Mitsuhiro who seemed busy chatting up the others on the bus, "But you're actually the Tadashi Jonetsu?"

"Yes, you're correct," I humbly smiled, "Pleased to meet you miss…" I waited for her to introduce herself.

"Oh dear, where are my manners," she giggled playfully, talking in almost casual tone, "My name is Kidiru Benihime, you can call me Momma if you'd like sweetie." She twirled a loose strand of her while she rested her bag on the side of the bus seat, "I'm the Ultimate Mother."

 **KIDIRU BENIHIME - ULTIMATE MOTHER**

"I'm sorry if I misheard you, but your talent is…." I double took at what she said, almost curious as to what she meant.

"You heard me Dashi," she smiled endearingly, using the same nickname as Ayaka. "It may sound a bit peculiar, but that is indeed the honest truth, I am considered the Ultimate Mother by Hope's Peak, well formerly, after the Tragedy, I suppose."

"Huh, that's an….irreverent talent if I've heard of it," I sat there, baffled by how how easy and matter of fact she sounded when expressing her words, "So are you like the best mom in the entire world or something, hahaha."

"Hehehe, you're too sweet," she chuckled, nudging my shoulder a bit too friendly at that, "I guess it's another way of calling me a caregiver, but I much prefer this title, it gives it a more nurturing touch if you will."

"I see…" I wriggled a bit by her unusually candid attitude towards her talent, "And you're here for the program as well?"

"Why of course," she nodded almost immediately, "I was offered a second chance at life, as well as the opportunity to meet so many cute kids such as yourself."

"A-Ah I see…" I cleared my throat, a bit embarrassed by her calm words, "For the record, I'm actually twenty years old, Kidiru."

"So?" she snickered, almost amused by my flustered movements, "All of you are precious children in my eyes, I may look young for a thirty year old, but don't think I can't be of assistance to anyone, just say the word and Momma is here to help."

"That's...oddly generous of you…" I blushed nervously, brushing back my hair strands, "You said you knew me?"

"Why yes, I love your work, Dashi." She rifled through her bag and pulled out a novel, "Your first new adult romance book, "Recorded Sweet Nothings" made me swoon and fall in love all over again, it takes me back."

"Well, thank you." I grinned, my ego back to its proper state, "I was worried that I might be striking out, but I'm happy the execution went well, honestly the premise of a girl with anterograde amnesia and a bad boy love story was so cliche, I was like, why not?"

"Such spirit," she eyed me curiously, getting a bit too close for my liking, "It's absolutely precious!"

The mother locked her arms around my neck and pulled me into a tight hug as my face landed in her chest as she began smothering me with affection. It was rather hard to breathe, but I could feel her soft hands stroke my hair as if I were her newborn baby.

"Tadashi?" Ayaka appeared behind us, "Umm…you okay there?" she looked quite confused, stifling some laughter as she looked at me flailing around.

"Nah I'm good…" I sighed, trying to siphon as much air as I could.

"And who are you, sweetie?" Kidiru directed her attention to the matchmaker, letting me go from her vice grip as I regained my breath.

"Hi, my name is Ayaka Yakusoku," she smiled, her lips curving into a delightful expression, "I'm a matchmaker!"

"Matchmaker you say?" she twirled a loose strand of hair from her face, "I'd love to see your talent in action, once this program is over."

"Sure thing," Ayaka cheerfully remarked.

 **Ayaka**

After greeting Kidiru, she continued to chat up Tadashi with even more questions. I had talked with the others who just arrived on the bus and I have to say that most of them were not what I was expecting.

Renata is such a vibrant burst of energy and she sure can hold her own in a conversation, I can say that. Mitsuhiro is a bit capricious in his own right, but he's such a gentleman at that, I'd love to see one of his plays live someday. And from what I overheard about Kidiru, she seems really caring, a bit over affectionate, but she seems swell.

Tadashi continued to humor Kidiru, with him chuckling at her comments as she was getting more and more familiar with his work. It was nice to see that not everyone here was as weird or abrasive as some others. I really wanted to talk with Chikara and Ezra more, but it seems the two of them were busy sleeping. Naiki is a bit abrasive, but I wonder why he's like that? Meanwhile, Mitsuhiro and Renata were both discussing their own visual techniques and vision regarding film and theater as a whole.

Unsure of what to do next, I sat back in my seat, reading my signed copy of Tadashi's book. His work is so scintillating and realistic, it's no wonder he's as popular as he is. I breezed through a few chapters before the bus came to another screeching halt.

While it looked dark outside, I saw that it was probably around the early evening, maybe seven or eight o'clock, but I didn't have a watch on me. The night sky's translucent purplish blue hue painted the air with a sense of mystery, almost foreboding at that, as the bus stopped at its next destination.

"Even more of 'em…" the driver sighed with an exasperated breath, "Sit tight kid."

"I'm not a kid, you can't tell me what to do," Naiki bopped in his seat, spending most of his time pestering the driver, "Everyone on here is such a buzzkill, you're more fun to play with."

"I can hear you!" Renata yelled, getting the referee's attention, "You want to get pummeled into dust?"

"Oh how cute, you think I give a shit," he smirked proudly, "Although it'd be an unfair fight, I don't believe in hitting girls, but you might be the exception."

"Oh for fuck's sake," he snorted, eyeing the next set of passengers stepping on his bus, "Keep it down will ya!" He glared at the referee and the special effects makeup artist with a scornful scowl.

Ignoring the ensuing argument between those two, I peered out the window to get a better look at the new arrivals. It was hard to make them out at first, but as they stepped on the bus, I noticed four more people wander inside, probably the last few until it was time for the bus to move on. This time there was an equal amount of both genders, with there being two guys and two girls having just boarded.

The first guy of the four to walk into the bus looked very different compared to the others, in terms of how he stood out.

His hair was an ebony pitch black and looked rather unkempt and shaggy as if he ran through a bush by accident, with his bangs almost covering his pale brown eyes. He had very rugged masculine facial features that included a well-defined jawline and a close stubble that added that hint of confidence to him, if not made him look a little attractive. His skin was slightly darker than average and he looked to be in very good shape, not quite like a bodybuilder, but he was very lean and toned as well as tall.

He wore a tattered beige jacket that was missing its left sleeve, exposing some white wrap bandages around his left arm and hand, with the right sleeve only showing some on his hand alone. He wore a white t-shirt underneath the jacket which was left unbuttoned and his jeans were just as tattered as his jacket, with various bits of the fabric missing and some grass strains smudged all over the knees of the pants. The last three things that contrasted with his clothes are the black combat boots he wore, which looked more presentable than his jacket and pants, and he wore a black gold cross on a thin silver necklace around his neck.

However, the one thing that he carried with him that piqued me the most was that he nested two small birds atop his head. One was a black crow with feathers bathed in a midnight dark color and the other was a pure white dove that complemented the crow's shade with its blinding powdery white hue.

He looked similar to the kind of guy you'd see in any action or horror TV show, most likely one set in a zombie apocalypse or nuclear war show. He had a very distinct look to him that almost screamed military man, if anything that just made his ensemble fit better as well as highlighted his handsome appearance. I didn't expect him to be harboring a pair of birds either, maybe those are his pets?

"Yoooo, is this everyone?" he said, perusing the aisles for an open seat, "Hmm, didn't expect such a colorful cast of crazies, but hey guess that's what I signed up for." He said shrugging his shoulders and plopping his dirty brown duffle bag in an available seat close to Ezra and Naiki.

"Don't mind me pal," he smiled casually at the lighthouse keeper, "Watch my seat for me, kay?"

"Mhm…" Ezra shakily nodded his head, continuing to look outside the window listlessly.

"Hi excuse me," I sat up from my seat, waving to him as he noticed me, "It's very nice to meet you sir, are you a former remnant as well?"

He paused for a moment, looking at me curiously as if I just asked him a deep personal question. He then sat in his seat, almost unaware of my presence before he sighed tiredly and settled into his seat.

"Sup, little chickadee," he winked at me, his dove pecked at his head while the crow stared at Chikara from the seat behind us, "Yeah, something like that, you as well?"

"Mhm, although I guess I stand out like a sore thumb compared to the others," I giggled nervously, while he listened on with an easygoing smile, "Anyway...what's your name?"

"Oh sorry, my bad, dude," he chuckled before sitting up properly and giving me a half smile that almost seemed a bit forced, "Name's Kasasagi Nikushimi, call me Kasa, much less of a mouthful there." He scratched his left cheek, itching the stubble a little bit, "I'm the Ultimate Birdkeeper, I hope we can become good pals."

 **KASASAGI NIKUSHIMI - ULTIMATE BIRDKEEPER**

"Wow that's such a cool talent," I remarked, "My name is Ayaka and I'm a matchmaker, pleased to meet you," I briefly introduced myself with a curtsy, amazed but also a bit let down that it wasn't anything like I'd imagined, "So, you take care of birds for a living then?"

"I guess that's close to it," he pondered on his next words, "I've spent most of my time hanging out with birds, so I was like, why the heck not, you know."

"Cool, are those two birds your animal friends then?" I asked, almost with a childlike curiosity.

"Yeah, they've been with me through thick and thin," he smiled earnestly, motioning his left to the two birds as they flew on top of it, pointing to the crow first, "This little rascal's name is Shiro," he then directed me to the dove, "And this one is Kuro, quite the pair, don't you think?"

"Awww they're so adorable, can I pet them?" I said, eyeing them with wonder, as if I were at a petting zoo.

"Heh sure thing little lady," he extended his hand to me as the two birds simultaneously looked at me, Kuro nudging my right index finger as I stroked its white feathers, "So soft, like a pillow."

I then touched Shiro, and as I pet him, he began cawing softly, alerting some people in the bus momentarily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I spook him?" I anxiously pulled my finger back from petting the crow.

"Nah, he does that with a lot of strangers, it's no biggie," Kasasagi said, resting the birds back in his messy hair as if it were a makeshift nest, "Well, I hate to cut this little chat short, but it's their feeding time, talk to ya later Aya."

"Alrightie," I waved to him as he pulled out a bag of bird feed from his duffle bag next to him.

I then looked towards the other three who arrived on the bus and took note of one of the girls who was already sitting rather comfortably in her seat in the middle row. If anything, she looked as though she were more laying down on the seat than actually sitting but it's not a problem.

She had long bright orange hair like mine, with one side of her hair fashioned into a ponytail and the rest left flowing, except hers was straightened and a bit longer, almost reaching her lower back with some messy bangs partially covering her line of sight. Her dark blue half-lidded eyes looked sullen and tired, and there was a disinterested look in her eyes that screamed "I don't want to be here." She possessed a slim, very fair-skinned body with a small amount of muscle and a decent-sized bosom.

She wore a black sleeveless form fitting shirt underneath a purple heavy fur lined hooded coat and a pair of loose simple blue worn blue jeans held up by a plain leather belt. She also wore black combat boots, which made her the fourth of fifth person to wear the same kind of shoe. I wonder if it was some kind of fashion trend I wasn't made aware of.

Adorned on her face was a pair of round silver glasses that made her sleepy eyes stand out even more, with a red choker collar sporting a round silver charm with the words 'Vik' spelled out in cursive lettering. She had several piercings in her right ear that included a silver industrial bar piercing and three silver lobe ones, giving her a punk-like aesthetic and she wore a pair of wireless red noise-cancelling headphones around her neck.

"Hi, nice to-"

"Save the introductions…" she yawned mid sentence, "..for someone who cares," she curtly responded, halting me mid-sentence as I noticed the silver tongue piercing in her mouth.

"Umm okay...sorry," I apologized, even though I hadn't said much to her in the short time we've known each other, "Uhh…"

The awkward silence continued as she stared out the window, completely ignoring me the entire time I stood there, as if I were a teacher asking her to pay attention to the class lecture. She seemed despondent, but in a somewhat uncaring manner as she kicked up her feet and crossed them as she laid in her seat.

"So…." I broke the ice, hoping to at least acquire her name before leaving her alone.

"From that stupidly dopey look on your face…." she looked at me, her dead eyes staring into my soul almost as she yawned tiredly once more, "You want my name right?"

"What? O-Oh yes, please…" I frantically composed myself as she startled me, "My name is Ayaka Yakusoku, I'm-"

"A matchmaker, figures…" she tiredly yawned, cracking her fingers as she fiddled with something in her coat pocket, "The pure white dress….*yawns*...the overly feminine accessories...coupled with a naively off putting sense of optimism and…*yawns*..cheerfulness...I know who you are."

"Y-You do?" I worriedly said, feeling a bit frightened by her almost omniscient words.

"Yes. Whatever let's get this over and done with," she sat up from her spot, stretching as I heard a few joints pop in her arms, ''Vik. Viktoria Zeigler. Ultimate Analyst, is that all?"

 **VIKTORIA ZEIGLER - ULTIMATE ANALYST**

"Wait a minute…" I briefly thought, "Strange, didn't she have the same talent as well, not long ago?"

Viktoria looked at me with another displeased glare, probably already bored with my questions as she turned the other way, almost immediately. I guess she's not much of a talker either, oh well, best not to prod too much I suppose.

I then turned my attention to the last two passengers on board, as I noticed a young boy hop on the bus with the most bizarre outfit that I've seen so far, aside from Naiki's.

"You there!" he announced boldly, "With the beauty and grace of Dark Magician Girl, declare your loyal fealty to me!"

"Huh?" I then noticed the young boy address me, his right index finger pointed at me as if I were an animal being told what to do, "Oh sorry, are you referring to me?"

"Hahaha!" he laughed heartily, "It's only natural that you take witness of me, the protagonist of this story!" He seemed a bit too confident in that remark.

Despite his bold words, he was a rather scrawny person, with little muscle in his frame. He looked to be the youngest on board so far, baring a healthy youthful fair skin complexion with no blemishes. His gray rectangular eyes were emphasized by his very straight and thin grey eyebrows only made more noticeable by his pointed facial features. His hair is what stood out the most, styled in a bizarrely spiky fashion with some loose strands sweeping upward and to the right side of his head, most likely held together by hair gel, with the front of his colored a golden yellow and the back colored grey, with some blue highlights streaked in the golden part of his hair.

It was quite an eyeful, but his outfit spoke volumes. He wore a gold and blue full sleeved jacket with grey borders along the edges of the sleeves with the collar frayed near the neck area. Underneath his jacket, he wore a simple black undershirt and he wore simple faded blue jeans along with a leather brown belt around his waist with multiple rectangular holsters strapped to the sides. He wore a pair of dirty light grey gloves on his hands and on his feet, he wore brown shoes with light blue straps over the front of each one.

His accessories matched his unique sense of dress, but what stood out the most was that he wore a familiar device I once saw in a TV show when I was a young girl. It appeared to be a fake Duel Disk attached to his left arm with a deck of cards filled into the slot of the device.

"Hey, I recognize this…" I furrowed my brow whilst thinking over it, "Isn't this from that one card anime, YuGiOh? Oh my, that looks so-"

As I continued to mumble on, the young boy closed his eyes, almost deep in thought about something. Compared to his very loud outfit, he seemed oddly composed at that moment in time. He kinda reminds me of a preschooler who believes they are a character from their favorite cartoon.

"Umm, excuse me?" I asked him politely, "What's your name, by chance?"

As if on command, he opened his eyes and fiddled swiftly with the cards in his fake Duel Disk, shuffling them so quickly it was like lightning speed. Is he some kind of card expert?

"I activate Polymerization!" he announced suddenly, slapping a green card from his deck on the Duel Disk itself, "To fuse together my three Blue Eyes White Dragons to summon my ULTIMATE BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!" He then slapped a purple card on the disk and laughed once more. "Yes! I'm the only human who can do this! For I am Yuya Yuki, the Ultimate Children's Card Game Player!"

 **YUYA YUKI - ULTIMATE CHILDREN'S CARD GAME PLAYER**

"I see...Nice to meet you, Yuya, my name is Ayaka," I winced, a bit perplexed by his overdramatic greeting, "Are you here for the program as well?"

"Why of course, I expected more from the Dark Magician Girl herself." He haughtily responded, posing akimbo, "I expected you to have known all about this forthcoming journey of mine!

"Okay...well I do hope that we get to become good friends Yuya," I smiled regardless of how awkward I felt at that moment.

He swiped a few more cards from his deck and pulled out a funny looking card; it displayed a picture of a cute anime girl wearing a nurse's outfit with pink hair and wings. It was very over the top, but still a pretty design.

"Hmph, I seem to have been struck with Injection Fairy Lily's syringe," he rambled on, placing the card on the duel disk, "Another two thousand life points, but I'm sure to recover them using my Solemn Wishes card." he pulled out a card showing a woman in a silver dress bathing in magic light.

"Hehehe, you're so funny," I giggled at his antics, watching him act so proud that I felt like a mother listening to her child ramble on about their favorite series for hours, "Well, it was nice meeting you Yuya."

"We shall meet again, Ayaka," he posed heroically as he made his way to his seat near the front with a middle school backpack around his back, "As the hero, I shall see to it that we are all safe!"

I watched the children's card game player sit in his seat, once again playing his deck of cards as it seemed Naiki was watching him closely with anticipation. The referee seemed keen on what Yuya was doing, but instead of messing with him, he just watched him shuffle more cards around.

It seemed that the bus driver was thankful for this as he sighed a deep breath of relief and wiped a chunk of sweat from his furrowed brow.

"Excuse me, but is that seat available?" a feminine voice asked.

"O-Oh yes it is, sorry if I was in your way," I quickly moved to the side, blushing nervously as I made way for the girl.

"Thank you," she said, placing her black handbag and suitcase off to the side of the seat, "You must be a participant?"

"Yes I am, it's very nice to meet you, I'm Ayaka Yakusoku, Ultimate Matchmaker," I greeted her courteously. I took in her appearance, as she stood up to introduce herself as well.

She was tall and slim, but had very delicate and small features to her that made her look like a doll; she was quite beautiful. Her curly, pale blonde hair fell to her mid shoulder and bounced naturally as they accentuated her large violet-colored eyes, showing a small black beauty mark under her right eye. What made her very feminine features stand out even more was the dark red lipstick painted on her lips, giving her this noir aesthetic reminiscent of old crime shows. She had this classy air to her from the way she looked as well as how she dressed.

She wore a lace black halter dress that went up an inch above her knees, with the top fitted to her figure, showing little cleavage while the skirt flared out near the ends. There seemed to be a thin, white, patent leather belt under her bust where the top faded into the skirt, which was hard to see at first. Over her dress, she wore an open white trench coat that reached to her knees, with elbow-length, silk gloves that gave her an even more elegant aura. To contrast with the black and white color scheme, she wore sensible red pumps that matched her lips. She appeared to be wearing a silver chain around her neck, but it was hard to tell what the pendant was, since it was hidden well underneath her dress.

"Hey Ayaka," I then turned around to see Tadashi approach me and the girl, "So many adoring words from fans, it was endless, heh. Who's this?"

"Oh, I don't know," I then looked back at the other girl, "Sorry this is-"

"Tadashi Jonetsu, Ultimate Romance Novelist, I already know who he is," she said plainly, seeming somewhat unimpressed, "I've been through this same song and dance already."

"Wait a minute….it's you!" the romance novelist suddenly caught on, "You're that girl, the one famous for her first ever novel solving that cold case a few years ago!"

"Hmph, I see you're not as dull-witted as I thought," she smiled, chuckling to herself coyly, "But yes, Eri Morita, Ultimate True Crime Novelist, pleased to make your acquaintance."

 **ERI MORITA - ULTIMATE TRUE CRIME NOVELIST**

"Oh how awesome! You're a novelist as well?" I studied both her and Tadashi with curious eyes, "What's true crime?"

"Silly Aya, it's basi-" he said before getting cut off by Eri.

"I write non-fiction books that pertain to real life crimes, some such as autobiographies of infamous killers, unresolved kidnappings and sometimes conspiracy theories," she said, cutting straight to the point, "Does that help alleviate your query?"

"Yes it did, thank you so much Eri," I giggled playfully, enjoying this experience a bit too much.

"I was about to say that…." the romance novelist seemed annoyed that he was cut off, fixing his black tie and shades on his head, "Anyway, I hope we can collaborate on a future title together, Ms. Morita. I'd love to pick your brain and see how it could work."

"An interesting proposition," she sat in her seat, flattening her dress to remove creases, "However, I don't think we'd have the luxury to really get to know each other properly. I'd hate for us to both waste our time on such a frivolous topic, especially with both of our defamed reputations."

"Typical Eri," he sighed, rubbing the sides of his forehead, "I've heard from a lot of people that you're very hard to talk to, as well as to work with, so why am I not surprised."

"Aww, don't be like Dashi," I reproached him, feeling a bit bad for the true crime novelist, "I'm sure Ms. Tsutsumi will allow us to practice our talents again...I hope so."

Eri then pulled out a small notebook with a black pen from her trench coat and began jotting down notes. She seemed almost enamored with what she was writing, adding bullet points and small letters I couldn't make out.

"Ever the faithful glass half full perspective, eh Aya," the romance novelist smirked, shrugging his shoulders, "Who knows what will happen, honestly I just hope we get to our destination on time."

"Unlikely…." Eri mumbled out, "This bus is way too big for twelve passengers, including myself, alone, there's going to be more coming soon."

"Well that's oddly acute of you," Tadashi raised an eyebrow, "But I'm not gonna question it, you know all the answers apparently so why should I bother?"

Tadashi quickly made his way back to his seat, as I noticed Eri still wrapped up in her note taking. She almost seemed obsessed with what she was detailing, like a mad scientist working carefully on their next experiment. I suppose when you work in the mystery genre, you get used to noticing the small details about others, amongst other things.

"Well, I hope we get along Eri," I happily smiled, cupping my hands together giddily, "I'd love to read your work sometime!"

"Flattery doesn't suit you, Ayaka." She bluntly said, giving me a side-eyed look, accompanied by a wry smile, "Just remember to keep your guard up, not everyone is going to be your friend on the spot."

With her curt advice in hand, I pondered on what she meant by that, before feeling the bus move again. I hastily made my way back to my seat as I took notice of the others on the bus.

Ezra and Kasa were both trading looks, but didn't say much to each other. Yuya loudly chanted out something I couldn't hear over the engine noises as Naiki seemed amused by his behavior as he watched him closely like a cat. Vik was listening to her music, almost stagnant in her position as it seemed she was sinking into her seat.

Renata and Kidiru were both chatting with each other, gossiping about something I wasn't quite sure of. Chikara seemed a bit creeped out by Mitsuhiro's advances, but she kept ignoring him whilst he regaled her with a grand gesture of getting to know her. Tadashi started to doze off as he covered his eyes with his shades and I felt the same way.

I plopped on my seat, feeling the night air lull me into a false sense of security as I leaned against the window, my cheek pressed softly against the cool glass. I felt sleepy, who knew introductions could be quite tiring. My eyelids feel heavy, my body sluggish and my energy expended. I couldn't wait to meet the rest of the group, whomever they were.

I hope some of them are friendly and nice. I've met so many people today in one place, it feels like a dream come true almost.

I just wish this endless bliss could last forever…..nothing good in life ever does.

* * *

 **A/N** : Hi there everyone, how are you all today, apologies once more, but hey I'm still around for those curious. I really had fun making this chapter, despite how long it took me to write.

I've been up and down in my mental state recently and with some help, I was able to get back into writing form properly, so I hope you don't mind the late chapters. I hope this long upload of introductions fills that void for a while. Classes have been hella busy and I've been preoccupied with life matters and studying for exams, so I hope you don't mind my sporadic updates.

What did you guys think of the OCs introduced so far? I hope, to the creators whose OC made an appearance in this chapter, that I did your character justice and wrote them to the best of my ability. If you have any issues, please feel free to contact me via the FF PM. Some were tricky to write, while others were a total blast to immerse myself into. Also the swapping of the narrator will most likely be present in this story, so I hope you don't mind following both Tadashi and Ayaka POV's for a while.

Once again thank you to all the creators who have sent me OC for this story and yes I still have **12 spots remaining** for those interested in making OC for this SYOC. I need **six more males and six more females** to complete the roster, but I will most likely put this story on the backburner until then so that I can focus on my classes as well as my other to stories in action since I've neglected them for a while.

Since I don't have the full roster yet, the next chapter will come when I've finalized the last twelve OC, so I hope you all don't mind waiting another few months for another chapter upload, my apologies in advance for those patiently anticipating their OC's acceptance, but I prioritize quality over quantity, so I hope you understand.

For now that's all I have to say and I hope you all have a wonderful day, night, holiday or whatever it is you are celebrating and I will see you all in a few months time when I update properly. I hope you all are well and in advance, happy late Valentine day, happy Easter, happy Spring break and all in between.

Happy reading my fellow readers, authors and otaku alike, I will see you all hopefully soon.

Bye bye!


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